


Rebirth

by TheChampion04



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Awesome Jane Foster, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Feels, Fluff, Loki Redemption, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-10 22:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 61,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2042238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheChampion04/pseuds/TheChampion04
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Lokane pairing taking place after Thor: The Dark World. Thor has left Jane a second time where she is left alone in London and suffering from terrible dreams that are making her sick. Thor is no where to be found and Jane finds comfort from the most unexpected visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is struggling with his demons and can't take the constant battle with his feelings and decides to pay Jane a visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my Loki x Jane pairing! To be clear, I do not own Marvel. And I have to thank my dear friend Sarah for assisting me with this and motivating me to writing it and a shout out to Veronica for helping me with the Title (I suck at Titles). Enjoy!
> 
> PS: I do not own Marvel or its characters. Merely having fun with them.

_It has been done._

Loki smiled at himself behind Odin's face. Placing the Allfather back into his sleep and deceiving Thor was just the beginning of his plans to rule the Asgardian throne. He felt victorious and effectively triumphant. The last several months were taxing after manipulating his close friends and family and the God of Mischief hadn't prepared for the amount of regret pooling within his chest. Ignoring his irritability, Loki took his leave back to Odin's chambers where he would spend the majority of his time plotting and scheming for his next annexations. When he arrived, he set the staff of Gungnir down against the gilded walls and ambled his way towards the bedside mirror. He dissolved himself of his father's façade and the heavy armor of gold and green disappeared with a swish of his hand. The God was left wearing nothing but loosely fitting dark green slacks. He stood in front of the mirror and grasped it from both sides. Looking down at his lower abdomen he saw what had remained of the blackened grotesque scar he had received when he fought Maliketh's bodyguard. Loki tried to keep himself from remembering that deceitful moment when Thor cradled him in his arms in the middle of the rugged terrain of Svartalfheim. The God of Thunder watched his younger brother die, and Loki gave him his last words.

 _"I didn't do it for him,"_ Loki had struggled to speak his last breaths with heartfelt desperation.

Loki knew it was wrong of him, but selfishly manipulating Thor had to be done in order to take back what he had lost. Loki hated the pain in Thor's eyes as he lay dying. After hearing Thor speak of him honorably when the mischief god wore Odin's face, Loki couldn't help but feel a heavy ache in his heart for what he had done. He couldn't allow himself to break; not when he had worked so hard to achieve as much as he has. Loki desired power for so long, and to gain it required sacrifices.

 _I am burdened with glorious purpose…_ This was Loki's everlasting motto.

And what a hefty burden the God carried. Loki's faith and determination kept his plans in motion even if it meant betraying his brother yet again, not to mention the other enemies he accumulated on Midgard. He was sure to encounter them again soon enough. Yet, with all or his progress and succes, there was still pain from he had lost and what was left of his good conscience. The ache Loki was feeling was weighing heavy on him, causing him to second-guess himself. It always turned quickly into anger - anger which caused him to lash out.

Loki curled his fingers into a fist and swung it violently towards the mirror, causing it to shatter into a million sharp pieces onto the floor. He pulled his hand away, seeing splinters of glass protruding from his knuckles and watched as drops of blood dripped to his feet. With a little magic he cleared his wounds away, but the remains of what was left of the mirror were scattered across the floor below him. He tightened his jaw in the horror of his rage and let out a deafening scream. Thor had forgiven him for everything he had done, and Loki had done unforgivable acts of treason of inexcusable betrayal, which stained his name. Loki couldn't help but feel the hurts. He needed a distraction.

Loki thought specifically of what he could do to distract himself from his laden heart that was tormenting his thoughts. Maybe a visit to one of the nine realms would give him insight into what he could plan next; what his next move could be. Being cooped up in the towers of Asgard bore no amusement for him. Loki was the God of Mischief, after all. He paced back and forth, listing off the realms one by one, until one familiar realm stopped him instantly and teased his tongue

 _Midgard._ It had dawned on Loki that he had always been a bit curious to know how Earth had moved on since the departure from his last invasion. However, Loki was unsure what exactly he would go there to do… until he came across a not-so-distant memory, back when he had confronted Thor and before the New York incident occurred.

Loki began remembering the earlier promise he gave to Thor about paying his mortal woman a visit - Ms. Jane Foster. However, that promise back then had hostile intentions. To be truly honest with himself, Loki certainly held grudges, but he didn't hate Thor; it didn't seem necessary to seek revenge on him anymore unless given a reason. Thor had suffered enough of Loki's antics. Surely harming those he cared for was no longer needed.

Of course, it was odd that Loki suddenly found himself thinking about Jane Foster. Since fighting alongside both his brother and Jane when they confronted Maliketh, Loki had developed slight admiration for her. Witnessing her act as a host to the Aether was something of a marvel to him. He hadn't thought much of humans before New York; most of them seemed to be nothing but a flock of sheep to him - _"mewling quims"_ , he recalled defining them before - but since then he had been surprised at how resilient and intelligent they had become, developing into powerful and talented beings he had taken for granted. Even Loki could admit he had underestimated them, especially Jane. Witnessing her demeanor first hand proved that she was exceptionally unique. He couldn't help but wonder how such a small and diminutive human could house such an ominously withstanding and unpredictable power. Loki had experienced power like this before while wielding the Scepter and the Tesseract, believing it was the one source of power in the universe that could grant him his desires to rule. When seeing the Aether face to face, and the way it affected Jane while it coursed through her veins was something else entirely; nothing like the Tesseract, but surly just as powerful, if not more so.

Before Loki's thoughts could drift elsewhere, he then remembered that first moment he met Thor's little scientist. His first impression was polite enough. He expected her to act coy, but instead she laid a nice firm fist into his jaw. That was the moment Jane earned his respect. Jane had inflicted harm onto him and he revered her strength along with her courage while standing up to a God like him. Considering everything he had done to Midgard, she was upfront about her feelings towards him, but not as intimidating as she intended her blow to emulate. However, through the course of their mission, Loki hadn't anticipated how much of an influence she was having on him during what little time they had spent together, until the three of them confronted Maliketh.

Loki could replay the entire scenario as clear as day. He had her in his grasp as he acted out the plan to bring Maliketh down. Despite the Aether flowing through her veins, she struggled, but it did not wean him away from her like it had done with the others that had attempted to intervene. She trusted him, and the feeling had affected him. He posed as a traitor for just a moment, dragging her frail body like a rag doll, but holding onto her tight, enjoying his little show while feeling effortlessly confident in himself as always. This intrigued Loki secretively. Once he threw Jane to the ground was the moment he begun to see her differently and sensing a fear that this ritual would permanently harm her.

Loki wanted nothing more than to knock Maliketh into oblivion while the Dark Elf King had Jane floating in midair while the Aether was being extracted from her body. The Accursed had no interest in her at all; the Aether's power was all Maliketh truly desired. As much as Loki wanted to eradicate his malicious plot, he knew he couldn't jeopardize the strategy that both he and Thor had planned. The situation was delicate, but so was Jane. She was so small and powerless at Maliketh's hand, but to interfere would've cost them their lives.

 _Stick to the plan, Loki…_ He had recited to himself as he watched Jane levitate, exposed and vulnerable.

With the Aether perfectly exposed and in clear view, they made their move to destroy it. Loki remembered only being too determined in proceeding to shield Jane from the blast once Thor struck the Aether at it's source. Even though it was part of their plan, Loki suddenly felt the desire to protect her. The inertia of the blast caused Loki to completely collapse on top of her after colliding with her frail body, nearly touching her face with his. His heart had begun beating wildly with adrenaline as his hand unintentionally grabbed her by the waist. At that moment, he thought it was the rush of the attack, but her piercing brown eyes had locked onto his then, and Loki looked effortlessly hypnotized. Jane was clearly in shock, but something else had surfaced in her expression - confusion, relief, gratefulness? Loki didn't couldn't tell the difference. All he could do in that brief moment was stare back into her striking auburn nebulae. The moment was instantaneously short, and he shook the thought immediately as he propped himself up higher, hovering above Jane and seeing if their plan had worked.

His reverie faded then, and now he was left looking back at that moment, practically being driven insane over it. Ever since he met Jane - when she first threw her fist against his face - he decided he would never allow harm to come to her as long as he'd know her. She put up a fight amongst the Asgardian immortals and the Dark Elves, which was more than commendable and it was undeniable that it captivated him. Now she was back on Midgard, as safe as any human could be he supposed, but something was nagging him. He couldn't steer away from his curiosity to wonder if she truly was out of harm's way. Thor would seek out Heimdall nearly every day to check on Jane. Since Maliketh's visit to Earth, she had been – but Loki didn't have that luxury and now he somehow felt the need to see for himself.

_Don't be ridiculous, Loki; she's just a mortal woman; nothing worth your time. So she's got a bit of a backbone; you're a God and she an impotent Midgardian woman._

He shook his head as if to rid him of his discouraging thoughts of Jane, pacing back and forth trying to think of anything else. Now that she plagued his mind, it was of no use. Was this the affect she had on immortal men; on Thor? Or was there something else altered about her? He was aware of the unique abilities that a few Midgardians possessed and he wondered for a good long moment that maybe she could be one of them. Could she be more than a mere human? The God decided that he wanted to pay her a visit – find out for himself - but he just wasn't sure how. After everything that had happened, how could he even show his face? She watched him die, just as Thor had. He would have to be discreet and unnoticed. He couldn't risk her seeing him and then telling S.H.I.E.L.D - or even Thor - for that matter. And if that were to happen, his plans would be effectively ruined. All his efforts would be in vain if he sought her out and made himself known; but Loki was selfish in his own way and couldn't help his undying need to see her.

_What is wrong with me? Get a hold of yourself!_

Loki was growing irritated with his thoughts of Jane; how she was making him feel and how much he had to try and shove them aside. He felt so alone and going to visit Thor's significant other seemed to be the only way to fill the gaping hole that was causing his heart to ache now. If he was going to go see this woman, who's been having such a profound effect on him, he would need to leave a decoy of Odin behind. Leaving a distraction for Thor and his friends would allow Loki to visit Midgard without suspicion, and also shield himself from Heimdall so that he could slip through the Bifrost undetected like he had countless times before.

Doing this would take intricate planning and a good deal of time, but he was impatient now. Loki then thought about taking his chances and just going for it spontaneously. It's not like they'd be expecting him or his mischief because as far as they were concerned, he was dead. Loki then wondered if maybe Thor suspected on some level that his little brother was alive, seeing as how this wasn't the first time he had "died" and then unexpectedly returned, but Loki had his plans already in motion. He couldn't risk failing again. All of this "realm conquering" business was beginning to be more problematic than it was worth, it seemed. Loki wanted more, and going to Midgard to see Jane seemed worthwhile enough.


	2. Pay Jane a Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane's been suffering from sleep deprivation and can't help but feel like something or someone is haunting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my Loki x Jane pairing! To be clear, I do not own Marvel. And I have to thank my dear friend Sarah for assisting me with this and motivating me to writing it and a shout out to Veronica for helping me with the Title (I suck at Titles). Enjoy!
> 
> PS: I do not own Marvel or its characters. Merely having fun with them.

Jane had a rough day - like most days she'd had in the last few weeks, ever since the Aether had been extracted from her; not to mention how Thor had left her - again. His departure had been much more heartfelt, but he hadn't stayed. Just another promise to return to her. It began to feel like a painstakingly long routine that she wasn't sure how much longer she could tolerate the wait, but she held onto the blind hope that he was her destiny. 

And where did that get you last time Jane? Broken hearted and alone. 

Jane sighed in frustration and didn't feel the need to dwell on her insecurities and past relationship disasters.

Her nightmares didn't seem to stop either and it left her sleepless most nights. This particular day had her attempting to pass the time hunched over a cup of coffee as she looked over her old research papers. They were scattered across her coffee table, the couch, and the majority of the rest of them even found messily along the floor. She redirected her exhausted energy into her work, which was typical Jane-behavior whenever she felt bored out of her mind. This was entirely defeating the purpose of her so called "vacation", which would have normally granted her a barrage of complaints from Eric and Darcy, the ultimate nagging team. With her nights of unrest seeming constant, there was not much else for Jane to do other than look through her old documents. She even ran through a few of her dissertations from Grad school, making corrections and re-evaluating her equations. One particular paper that caught her eye was the one that she received the most ridicule from. It was her paper on Relativistic Astrophysics around Black Holes, in relation to the Eisen Rosen Bridge; she went into great length about traveling throughout the universe and how black holes were more of untamed and complicated pathways than simply the implosion of a dying star. She remembered getting mocked by the majority of her professors, and eventually she lost what little peers she had due to her devotion to this research. She was left with only Eric and Darcy to turn to.

And then there was Thor. The God of Thunder who she had prayed would return for a good several months after he left to return to Asgard. She knew he had much to prepare for; his grieving for losing not only his Mother, but his estranged brother as well. The thought of him losing his loved ones for the sake of the Nine Realms rattled her brain. Jane couldn't help but feel responsible for a lot that had transpired on Asgard - especially the losses of Frigga and Loki. The more Jane thought about them, the more she cursed herself and wanted to jump off of a ten story building. Selfishly enough, Jane was determined to see Thor again, even if she had to wait another two years like the last time. Despite the eagerness of her friends' insistence that she take a well-needed break, Jane couldn't help but look over her past research records in an attempt to help her come up with any algorithms she could muster, just in case she could find something - anything - of good use; a breakthrough. It angered her to think that she was so far from Eric and Darcy, while they ventured to see S.H.I.E.L.D without her.

She wondered if they would come into contact with Thor before she could. Her work was more important to her than anything else in her life, but then Thor had come into it and shifted her entire reason to keep going with her research. Just like the first time he had gone, she made more of an effort to get her equations and experiments in working order - and since finding the anomaly in London, and visiting Asgard on her own trip through the Eisen Rosen Bridge, Jane wanted nothing more than to go back there and to see the god again. But Eric and Darcy saw what the over-exhausted Jane was doing to herself. Her new obsessions with Thor and Asgard had only progressed and become more obsessive after she had returned, and so they thought it was the best thing for her, by leaving her behind - no matter how much Jane hated it.

Now they were gone - fighting her fight, supporting her discoveries, and helping S.H.I.E.L.D work through her research so they could possibly make their very own portal throughout the Realms. Jane wanted so badly to be there; she didn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D faster than she could throw them, but she did trust Eric and Darcy (or at least trust Darcy to help Eric to remember his medication after his last mental breakdown). Eric insisted she take the backseat on this trip. He knew her research as much as she did and didn't want her suffering from her exhaustion more than she already was. Yet, here she was, doing just that and looking over notes that only got her laughed out of the offices of her Professors. Trying not to remember how she ended up alone in London, she buried her head in her knees and swept all her notes from the coffee table with one livid swipe of her arm, making all her pages fly through the air and fall into a disorganized mess around her.

What upset her most was the realization that she couldn't simply take care of herself. What would Thor think of her if he saw her like this? Jane was always the first to try and rationalize a reason for her overzealous behavior because she was a fighter, and would prove herself to near death if it meant proving to others that she was right. And she was right to think that Thor would return, even if she had to find a way to do it herself with or without anyone's help. Jane stood up from the couch to get another cup of coffee and try to come up with other ways of passing the time. She maneuvered over the scattered papers all over the floor like a thief getting through a hall of lasers. Nearly falling flat on her face, she managed to make it to the kitchen, no longer paying much attention to the death trap she had contrived in her living room. She was oblivious to her clumsiness until it was too late, but luckily for her she came out unscathed, so her awareness never waned from her ambitions to get another cup of coffee. Jane grinned in relief when she fashioned herself a cup. The one thing her mother had done right all year, before her big Alaskan cruise, was give Jane the most glorious invention ever created: the express espresso machine. Jane made a glorious cup within seconds. She stirred in some skim milk and sweetner and then turned back to her asylum of paperwork - only to find that her living room suddenly looked different somehow. She noticed just one crumpled-up piece of paper resting in the center of her now empty coffee table (which she didn't recall seeing before). She looked at the wrinkled bundle, not remembering doing it…

Dear God, am I going nuts? Jane asked herself, letting out a long resounding sigh and sitting her cup of coffee down. She indulged herself a bit more and opened the crumpled piece of paper, unfolding the millions of creases and flattening the sheet that unveiled a particular equation that she seemed to have overlooked about the Eisen Rosen Bridge. She saw that a few things were smudged out, allowing the equation to run much more smoothly, effortlessly in fact. Jane thought maybe she was having a "Beautiful Mind" moment. She was relieved to see that her apartment wasn't covered in math graffiti or a maze of strings and maps, so she at least had that much going for her. Jane took a moment to survey the rest of the room, not noticing much else that seemed out of place, though she now couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. Jane carried on suspiciously back onto the couch where she began to clean up her notes, trying to not feel so paranoid. Once her notes were put away in her filing boxes, she hunkered down onto the couch, cupping her mug with two hands and staring longingly at the mysterious sheet of paper.

She leaned forward and looked at it again, setting her mug on the wooden surface, neglecting to use the cute owl coasters Darcy gave her for Christmas as a stalking stuffer one year. Jane, being the natural problem solver that she was, couldn't recall even glancing at this equation, let alone fixing it. Jane eyeballed it for a little while.

She didn't even notice the figure that leaned against the wall in the corner of the room.

He was invisible to her eye, sneaking through her apartment like a ghost. His grin grew as he watched her trying to connect the dots. The mischievous intruder had little willpower to withstand the urges to play his tricks, but when he had arrived this morning, Jane had looked bored. So in a way, she had been asking for it. He wanted to be in and out like he promised himself, but how could he pass up this opportunity to do what he did best? Loki had little self-control, and had decided to have his fun.

Being this close to her had his mind wandering a bit. It was like he was being pulled in. It was unexplainable, but it's all he wanted in this moment. He paced towards her slowly, slinking over to her side like the sneaky snake that he was. He took a seat beside the woman on the armrest of the couch, admiring Jane's alluring expression. Loki couldn't help but notice how attractive she was when she was deep in concentration. Her eyebrows furrowed, making her face harden with determination. Loki suddenly felt the urge to make the scientist feel something – anything - even if it was just the slightest shiver.

He leaned over slightly and blew his breath softly against her cheek. Jane felt it, ever so faintly, and got the chills instantly. Her skin across her entire body developed goose-bumps, and Loki reveled in his flirtatious efforts to witness Jane's reaction to this. She looked over in his direction, but he knew she couldn't see him. She peered over to the open window. Loki sprung up from the couch and backed away as she suddenly got up and made to move past him. She approached the panes, Loki still maneuvering away from her quickly. Jane shut the window and looked out of it for a good, long while.

"Maybe I have gone crazy," Jane spoke despondently and turned to Loki without realizing he was there, looking more depressed than ever. "Damnit Thor, where are you?!"

Loki's grin fell downward when he heard his brother's name escape her lips, finding that his trick only amused her for so long. Now her thoughts were back on Thor; not that Loki should have been surprised. Still, it made his blood burn with foreign jealousy. Why would he be having these triggers of envy, he wondered? Loki crossed his arms to mope and leaned back against the wall; his eyes tailed her as she walked passed him and went into her bathroom. It was a delayed reaction, but he soon followed after her. Peeking around the entrance, he saw that she was looking at herself in the mirror in the bathroom with her hands holding either side of it. It was a scene he was all too familiar with. Her look seemed vexed, but he wasn't sure why. Loki thought that maybe he shouldn't be playing his tricks on her after all, but he wanted to distract her - even help her with her equations. Unlike most of his pranks,

These were actually stemming from good intentions. He returned to her papers and looked over them quickly while her back was turned. He had known exactly how to repair them, and he thought it would have helped. He knew it would spark her attention, but he never intended for her to feel like she was going insane, only to wind up thinking about Thor as if nothing else mattered. Guilt and envy filled his heart like it always had when it came to his brother, and he didn't know how to undo and fix his little mistake. He felt disgusted.

Why do you care? One part of his mind asked himself mockingly.

Because she means something to you…..Was his only answer. But that was crazy… wasn't it?

Feeling angry with himself for feeling sentiment, Loki knew he needed to step away from the situation for a bit and clear his head. In an instant, he was gone. As soon as he'd vanished, Jane turned her head in his direction, feeling strangely like someone had been standing there and watching her. She quickly looked out into the hallway, and saw nothing and no one.

"Story of my life," she said with disillusionment, and took herself to bed.


	3. Empathy for a God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki cannot keep himself from wanting to see Jane. The Trickster goes to visit her a second time and is unprepared for what he would witness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my Loki x Jane pairing! To be clear, I do not own Marvel. And I have to thank my dear friend Sarah for assisting me with this and motivating me to writing it and a shout out to Veronica for helping me with the Title (I suck at Titles). Enjoy!
> 
> PS: I do not own Marvel or its characters. Merely having fun with them.

Loki regrettably returned to Jane's home the following day and he cursed himself at how utterly unacceptable it felt to have such desperate cravings like this. Triggering Jane's feelings of paranoia was like trying to perfect an illusion spell a thousand times over until he was satisfied. This newly common occurrence was to simply "entertain" the little scientist; make her eager and thirsty for answers. He relished the thought, but every time that emotion crept up within his chest he recoiled and nearly wanted to slam his face against a wall. Yet, the thought of leaving Jane last night - feeling miserable and insecure - outweighed his resistance. Loki was not even positive what he intended or even wanted to do. His trickery had seemed to work in the beginning, but Jane was far into her own insecurities that a mere crumbling of paper was not enough to entice the Astrophysicist - or himself, for that matter. To do this, he needed to approach her at a different angle and the God had decided that this wasn't going to be about amusing himself anymore. It was about charming Jane.

Loki arrived at dawn through Jane's open living room window; and found Jane lying somewhat comfortably on the sofa. Her legs were stretched out and it was tough trying not to notice what little clothing she was wearing. A camisole and underwear seemed to be all that covered her skin, exposing many of her delicate and beguiling features. The God of Mischief took a moment observing Jane while she slept, wondering if Thor had ever seen her like this or if they ever shared a bed together. The thought of such an act made Loki feel nauseated and yet aroused all at once. Jane in such a tantalizing position was more than he could handle, but picturing her with Thor was something he immediately had to obliterate out of his mind. He was incapable of stomaching the concept any longer.

His attention returned to Jane's unmoving body. Loki knew there had to have been men before him, but somehow the thought of her surrendering herself to Thor made him uneasy. He could only assume that they had shared that level of intimacy. Otherwise how else could they have gotten close so quickly? Loki cursed himself for even caring of such things and shook those thoughts out of his mind. Jane hadn't moved since he arrived and continued to nap with one hand resting gently against her stomach while the other hung off the side of the couch. She was holding the wrinkled piece of paper he had distracted her with the previous evening. Seeing that made the God grin a little too much, He didn't even notice how seeing such a simple act affected him.

Jane's eyes were closed gingerly. Her eyelids stretched thin over what he knew were dark auburn planets that, with simply a look, could make his hands sweat and his heart catapult out of his chest. Her breathing was unsteady however, and Loki began to notice that she didn't really look asleep, but almost lifeless. The rise and fall of her chest proved otherwise, but this didn't seem to settle Loki's concerns for his new plaything. He took a glance at the first available reflected surface to make sure his cloaking spell was fashioned properly, trying not to forget how taxing and concentrated his spells had to be simultaneously in order for them to work without fail.

He had numerous incantations at work. His Odin decoy had taken up a majority of his power just to satisfy the realm without suspicions of foul play. Because of this, Loki had only little spells to work with on Midgard. Had he been given free reign of his powers, who knows what Loki could do to make Jane shiver with anticipation; what he could do to her while inside her head. Instead he was left with minor spells - one being this meek invisibility enchantment.

Leaving Jane to her current stagnation, Loki took his time examining the rest of her apartment and didn't understand how anyone could function in such a diminutive and confined space. Feeling a bit claustrophobic, Loki recollected that even his prison cell was larger than this entire apartment combined. Avoiding the hording mess of books and papers, the mischievous God began glancing at old photographs on the walls of a younger Jane Foster - pictures of her with her mother, or at least a woman who was old enough to be, he couldn't be truly certain. There were even a few of her and Eric playing with science kits, holding awards, and a few graduation celebrations. It was hard to believe how far back and sentimental their relationship actually went. Jane's violent first impression was starting to make a lot more sense to the Prankster.

Loki couldn't help but notice that her actual father was not present within the wall of memories, not that he would recognize him of course, but there were no other men displayed there. Although, the God's sudden curiosity waned when he noticed one particular photograph; one of a little girl being held by her mother and both looking sublimely happy. New waves of emotions suddenly ran through his veins. There was pure happiness in the photo and he knew this feeling at one point in his life whenever he remembered the time spent with his mother, Frigga. Loki then realized he had involuntarily taken the frame from the wall, holding it between his hands very carefully. He gave his head a few shakes and then set the picture lightly back onto the wall.

Trying to ignore the painful memories of his own mother, Loki managed to make his way into the kitchen. He couldn't recall ever seeing one quite so miniscule, and completely scarce of the usual smorgasbord he was used to back in Asgard. He recalled his comrade, Volstagg, who would engorge himself upon the daily feasts, and the food for one meal could last for days. In a moment of weakness Loki had let go of his frown as he thought of a better time when he once had friends and had to be careful not to touch too much while reminiscing. He couldn't afford to risk his chances of getting caught when his mind trailed off.

The God of Mischief was precise with how he planned his strategies and tricks. If Loki could appreciate one characteristic about himself, it was his innate ability to pay close attention to details. He stopped and took notice on the strange device he remembered Jane nearly falling flat on her face to get to. His memory of Jane extracting a strange dark liquid substance from it had baffled him--to say the least. With delicate hands he observed it; opening it, tapping it, and smelling it. Whatever smell that was emulating from this apparatus was divine and nothing he had smelled up until recently. Placed next to the contraption were small boxes and Loki took a look at them. He twirled them around in his hands, trying to read what was on them; one box read "Caffeinated" while the other one was labeled "Decaf". He noticed that the "Caffeinated" box was nearly empty, while the other remained practically untouched. With deductive reasoning, Loki understood what this device did and what the substances in each of these boxes were.

"So you like to have a little energy, do you? Well you're not going to get it from this my dear." Loki spoke to himself, while he let the corner of his mouth curl upward into a sneaky smile.

Without hesitation, Loki knew exactly how this machine worked. Cleverly, he disposed of what was left of the "Caffeinated" ingredients into nothingness, crushing it within his hands as it turned into grains of sand. He checked over his shoulder to make sure Jane was sleeping sound, and when he did, he was relieved that she remained perfectly the same as she did when he had arrived. Loki continued with his mini prank to start the day. In the place of the popular brew, Loki managed to change the packaging of the fake swill with a swipe of a hand. He set the box down next to the machine and left the kitchen feeling rather smug with himself.

Taking his place back beside Jane, Loki knelt down to level with her and practically on his knees. Jane turned her head slightly to the side. If she were to wake up he would see her gorgeous brown eyes. Her face looked sickly and exhausted from fatigue. Loki could feel her breath wisp against his face, closing his eyes to take the pleasure in even just the slightest touch from her. Loki lifted a hand towards her face, leaving it hovering above her skin ever so slightly; never touching her as much as it ached not to. Even just to simply glide his fingers against her cheek was irksome.

 _Snap out of it, Loki!_ The Trickster demanded silently to himself.

Loki snapped back and inhaled abruptly – and the sound of it caused Jane's eyelids to split open instantly. Startled, Loki sprung onto his feet, hurried himself to the other side of the room, and gave Jane room to move. He kept himself as far from her as possible as if she had a contagious disease. Jane stood up, swaying from side to side like the walking dead. She used the palm of her hand to rub her eyes, but there were little efforts made to keep herself standing upright. Jane sauntered over to her coffee maker, preparing a cup like a creature of habit, not observing any of the changes Loki had made without her knowledge.

The God himself began to wonder if this impassive Jane would even care if she found out that he was standing almost directly behind her at this very moment. She seemed entranced and almost robotic. A long yawn escaped her mouth while Loki leaned over to her side to see her face. Jane's eyelids were half shut while she took the first sip of her heated concoction. The Trickster watched anxiously to see if she'd start to notice the difference, but to no avail. There was no shift in her reactions; no change in body language. Jane didn't seem repulsed that she was clearly not drinking her usual "Caffeinated" beverage. Loki had to have guessed that there wasn't truly a difference, but as much as Jane had consumed, she had to have at least expected to taste the same thing. Loki crossed his arms with frustration, pouting like a child and feeling defeated.

Can't you see that's Decaf, you daft woman?" Loki yelled at her, but Jane heard nothing from the God of Mischief since he was still concealed from her in both sight and sound.

This was supposed to be Midgard's most talented Astrophysicist? How disappointing it was that she, herself, couldn't tell the difference between the two substances. Loki was growing impatient with her and thought that maybe he wasn't being as conspicuous as he could be. And why was Jane so drowsy? Clearly this was another factor that Loki had not considered. She wasn't coherent enough to even notice her own nose in front of her face. This was not the Jane he had remembered; something was surely wrong with her and Loki didn't like obscurities. He wanted her to notice him, but not entirely; just enough to make her wonder. What could he do? How could he spark her curiosity?

That's when it dawned on him that the only thing she had responded to _was_ him. Not the little changes in her surroundings, but Loki's presence itself. That was what she reacted to the most. Raising an eyebrow at her, he leaned on the counter, resting his elbow as he looked up into her big brown eyes. She was about a foot back from the counter when Loki saw an opportunity to slip his way in front of her as intricately as the snake could. Jane was but only a few inches away from him when he straightened his posture and leaned back a bit while placing his palms on the edge of the counter-top. She took a few more sips of the steaming coffee and seemed to be enjoying the aroma that filled her senses with every drop that poured down her throat. Loki eyeballed the dark liquid, and knew exactly what to do.

After another sip, Jane took another pause to yawn. When she brought the mug up to her lips for another taste, a bitter sensation had scorched her lips, but it wasn't from the heat. Jane's eyes blinked wildly in shock as she took a moment to observe the mug in her hands. The cup was now ice cold with the brew inside completely frozen solid. Jane turned it over to make sure if what she was witnessing was actually real. Loki smirked wildly with self-satisfaction when he slinked behind her like a coiling python, bringing his lips to her ear and very gently whispering softly.

_"Jane…"_

Jane quickly turned her head to the side in the direction of the faint and familiar voice that had just called out to her. She was inches from the face of the Mischief-maker, but she still couldn't see him. Her face looked fearful, but not terrified. Loki was transfixed on the suppleness of Jane's lips, allowing himself to absorb her trepidation and let it settle in his mind and body like a drug. The God bit his lip and could almost taste the weariness that was emanating from her flesh, making Loki desire more of her anticipation. He enjoyed the little lark he pulled on his new plaything, and Jane was begging for it. There were never moments that felt more inviting than the urges to play the Prankster.

"Is someone there?" Jane called out, looking around the kitchenette. Her voice sang through Loki's ears and felt intoxicated by the sound.

Jane quickly turned, forcing the God to break from his euphoria, forcing him back into reality while he nearly threw himself backwards to avoid a collision. Jane ran back to her living room,

"Hello?" Jane asked again, hands to either side of the door frame. Only silence. Loki followed close behind her while she began to inspect the apartment for any signs of intrusion. She rushed to her bedroom - almost tripping over her own two feet - only to find that nothing had changed since last night.

Loki made another move, flying past her at close proximity through the hallway, completely visible but only for a split second. Jane twisted her head, nearly doing a one eighty trying to catch the glimpse of the dark figure that passed swiftly past her. It caused a sharp pain to strike the lower muscle in the back of her neck. Let's just say that would be the last time she'd decide to fall asleep on the couch. The tweak throbbed, but her overabundant behavior to uncover what was haunting her apartment had taken over. She didn't seem taken by the trickery, but rather intrigued by it - which was exactly what Loki had favored more than anything. It was a risk letting her see him even for just a second, but the God had become desperate to hear her anxiety for answers.

"Okay, Jane. It's just a little sleep deprivation; you're seeing things," Jane attempted to reassure herself.

The Prankster began tapping at the walls with his delicate fingers, snatching Jane's attention immediately. Loki was facing the petite scientist, who had begun following the sounds, causing him to smirk with crafty amusement and let out a little chuckle. The more he tapped, the more she followed. The chase commenced and the high Loki was experiencing off of it gave him the greatest thrill he's had in what seemed like centuries - right until Jane stopped dead in her tracks, wide-eyed as if she had just seen a ghost. Loki froze and his smile fell as she looked straight at him. Panicking, he wondered if Jane had managed to see him. Did his spell break? Could he have let his guard down while having his fun? Before Loki could move and face his fate, Jane turned to the wall. She pressed her ears against it with intense concentration. The God's confusion dissipated and settled his nerves when he realized what she was doing.

"Maybe it's a mouse in the crawlspace," she whispered almost inaudibly. Jane was like a child trying to figure out a complex puzzle. She took vigilant steps forward towards Loki's direction while keeping her ear up against the barrier.

His plaything moved like a ninja through the shadows of the foyer, impressing Loki like she had back in Asgard and when they had fought together. As much as he enjoyed this little dance of hers, he wanted to burst out laughing at her when she began assuming it was some measly vermin stuck inside the walls. Although, shortly after, he started to find it hard not to think she was calling him a parasite – all of his fine trickery just to be compared to a rat? Loki slammed a fist against the wall out of his own involuntary annoyance which jump-started Jane's heart. Her body stumbled back to the opposite side of the hall and slammed against the wall behind her. She looked from side to side; unsure of what that sound could be and suddenly became worried that maybe something else really _was_ in her apartment.

"Okay, _now_ I'm freaking out," Jane muttered, her voice shaking with fear.

Loki sauntered towards her with determination, trying to prove to her how wrong she was, even though it would damage everything he had worked so hard for. His conflicted war within himself made him want to scream. He wanted to show her that he was real, but he just couldn't allow it. Jane seemed lost in thought now, breathing heavily against the wall while holding her chest with one hand, as if trying to keep her lungs from falling out. Her other hand was pressed flat against the wall. If he revealed himself to Jane, all his efforts to conquer would be in vain. What was he doing this for? Why was tormenting Jane so amusing?

He tried to remember his reasons for being here, because now the sight of her was making him forget his purpose. Jane looked legitimately frightened and almost traumatized as she let her body slide down to the floor in tears and let her legs fall limply beneath her. Loki wasn't sure what her tears were for, but he felt like he had failed at his game, yet again. Instead of being infuriated with himself and running away from her, he remained tranquil in the vault of Jane's apartment, and took a seat directly in front of her with his legs crossed.

"Just pull yourself together Jane," she ordered herself in a whimper.

"That may have been a bit extreme, Jane. My apologies." Loki couldn't help himself from apologizing out loud, even though Jane could not hear him. That didn't bother him, though; he still didn't want her to.

"Why is this happening to me?" Jane questioned.

"Nothing's happening to you, Jane. I was only trying to entertain you," Loki responded with exasperation.

"It's just not fair, and I can't sleep. I'm just so tired…" Jane's voice sounded exhausted.

"Look I said I was sorry! You're lucky to even get an apology from me, so you'd best be grateful," Loki snapped.

"Just leave me be. All I want is some sleep and feel normal again. Is that too much to ask?" Jane wondered.

Now, Loki looked at her with genuine concern and thought about what she said. He paused, mulling over her words, and then quietly responded, "As you wish." Then he disappeared, leaving Jane sitting by herself in her hallway.

As soon as the God of Mischief left her, Jane's head snapped up; she could have sworn she heard a faint and that same familiar voice fill the air like a stir of echoes. She looked shocked, and almost instantly excited that she had actually heard anyone at all. Let alone one she was sure she recognized. Jane thought she had heard her name before, but this time she heard that sly velvety tone as clear as the first one. She remained sitting on the floor, contemplating what had just happened in her hallway. She analyzed the clues from the previous little game she had just unknowingly played. This only made her more curious.

A tiny smile peaked out the corner of her mouth as she got back onto her feet. She stepped lightly, remembering the last time she had experienced the petty ruses that were played on her this morning and the night before - the improved physics equations, the frozen coffee, and now the flashes and faded echoes throughout her hallway. They all linked to one name that began to resonate in her brain. Jane peaked over into her living room, as if to catch a thief.

"Loki?" Jane called out his name frivolously, but no one answered. She tried again. "Loki!" Her voice a bit louder this time. Silence.

Her efforts were useless, and Jane just laughed coldly at herself. She felt humiliated that she had even entertained the idea that this could be Loki's doing. How could he have been doing any of this if he was dead? "Silly, Jane" was all she could taunt herself with. Disgust soon followed, and she spent the rest of the day feeling absurd for even considering that Loki could be alive. Even if he was, why would he come to her home? Why would he play these games with her? She understood he was the deity of tomfooleries, but the idea seemed even more asinine.

All Jane wanted was to crawl inside of a dark hole and remain there until she decomposed. The idea of falling into an eternal rest seemed like bliss. After a long day of cleaning up her apartment and thinking about how much of an idiot she felt like. She made her way back to the bedroom. Her bed looked wonderful, but she feared it at the same time. The thoughts of her nightmares surfaced in her expression. Jane shook those thoughts from her mind and tried to reassure herself that she would finally get a well-deserved night's sleep.

\---------------------------------------------

This wasn't the first time Jane had thought about Loki. In fact, she had thought about him quite a bit since the last time she actually saw him. She was in her bed, lying there for a good while, and wide awake listening to the wind outside. It only seemed to prevent her further from getting any sleep. The constant thoughts of Loki didn't help either.

She thought about his actions back on Earth in comparison to his actions on Asgard and the conflict with Maliketh. She remembered the way he had looked at her after she gave him a generous wallop in the face. That charming smile that could've had her heart racing like a rabbit's had she not thought of him as a psychopathic killer. Jane still couldn't believe she had the nerve to do such a thing to a God – a God that had invaded her planet, no less - but that detail was all she could think about when she saw him for the first time.

Loki was the reason for most of the mess that was inflicted upon Earth, and the reason she had had to spend that cold winter in Norway feeling trapped… being kept from Thor. Or at least, that's what she had believed. After everything she had witnessed from him during their altercation with the Dark Elves, Jane found it difficult to see them as the same person. Could he have gotten possessed?

She had experienced possession once before; maybe he had experienced something similar with the Tesseract or that Alien Scepter she had been told about. Only he didn't have the privilege of his Godly relatives to look after him. Jane began to sympathize a bit for Loki and almost felt bad that he had to endure such a hardship all on his own. His attitude towards Thor then seemed full of hate and animosity, but Jane had a difficult time recollecting much after they had left to meet with Maliketh. The Aether had taken control of her entire consciousness the closer they reached the Elves.

Jane sat up for a moment, trying to understand why she was thinking about Loki all of the sudden. It wasn't like they had taken the time to get to know each other, with what little time they had spent together. At least Jane had had several days with Thor; granted a week was still a short time to really be able to judge her feelings for the Thunder God. Jane knew how fast her feelings had grown for Thor. He was her knight in shining armor after all and the Prince of Asgard who turned out to be her proof that she wasn't crazy. Thor had been the reason for everything she had accomplished within the last few years of her life - and her life's work.

Remembering the first time she had spent with Thor was when she had run him over with her van. It was mind blowing that just a year later he would take her back to his realm. The time she had spent on Asgard was terribly short lived, but it had a profound effect on her. Thor was a piece of work in the beginning, but the more she spent her time with him, the more he would seem captivated by her presence. The way he would speak so eloquently to her about the Nine Realms was mesmerizing to her. How charming he was, speaking every word just like a Royal Prince should. Their pairing was like one of fairy tales.

However, Jane was beginning to feel less confident about their relationship now. It was as if the universe would always pull them apart right when it seemed like their bond was progressing. So was that all their connection was? Just a series of brief moments of closeness? Jane thought that maybe she was trying to rationalize their relationship into her own childhood fairy tale coming true. Whatever the case, Jane tried her best not to over-analyze the feelings she had for the God of Thunder. He was colossal, tough, and a skilled warrior, but there was also a softness to him that was so gentle – especially with her – that it almost had her hypnotized by anything the man said or did.

Jane tried to make sense of the yearning thoughts she now seemed to share for Loki. Although, she wasn't certain as to why they had become more prominent lately. What would Thor think if he knew she was curious about his "recently deceased" brother? And how would he know? Thor was gone for whatever reason. He made her another promise that he would return and she had been counting the days since; two months, five weeks, and three days. Jane's brain could only focus on the numbers and they racked up day by day. She missed him more than anything and wished he would just appear, even once so that she could finally rest easy and forget about her conflicting hope that Loki was possibly alive. Yet, Thor was nowhere to be found.

She remembered calling Agent Coulson a few times out of desperation, asking if Thor had made even the slightest contact, but the Agent was always reluctant to tell her he hadn't. Jane would hang up wanting to cry, but the tears would not spring forth from her face. Only the heat in her cheeks rose and boiled hot to the point where she could have melted ice. Jane's patience was growing thin and her confidence in seeing him again always managed to keep itself cozy in the corners of her heart.

That positive attitude never lasted long. For the last time Thor had left, it took two years for her to see him again. So was that what she was destined to endure forever? Every two years, you can see the love of your life? Jane couldn't believe how ridiculous that sounded in her head, but every time his face would pop up in her mind, she couldn't help but wish he could just magically appear in front of her. Her feelings for Thor were unrelenting, making her even angrier with herself. Was Thor worth the wait? Of course! But was it realistic or healthy? Jane did not know.

Now Loki was invading her thoughts, which seemed to only make matters worse. It made even less sense, considering he was no longer alive or so she believed. How much easier was it before - to hate Loki for everything he had done to her planet? However, her hatred changed and had turned into pity, and that pity was now turning rapidly into blind curiosity; wondering what it would've been like to actually become friends with Thor's brother. Jane tried her best to think better of Loki after all he had done for her as his last acts of honor and tried to use that as a fond memory to fall asleep to. She allowed her memories to drift back to the moments where he looked at her with that charismatic smile and the moment when he had saved her life. Her thoughts remained there until her eyelids felt heavy, and her mind fell into a deep sleep.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening - and unlike Jane's previous nights of tossing and turning - the usual setting had completely changed from the endless black void that left her lost and petrified. As routine, it had been that way the last several weeks. Jane was caught off guard this time. She wasn't spending this night running from something that was after her like a predator to its prey. Instead, she was back on that dry deserted planet of Svartalfheim with Thor and Loki. The three of them waited patiently in the distance.

She only had faint recollections of the events that were set in motion when she was offered up to the Dark Elf. The fall from midair left her breathless and she wasn't sure how she was going to survive the experienced. She then caught a glimpse of his eyes; those giant globes of the purest green staring down at her with desperate urgency. Becoming aware of Loki's presence brought the color came back to her face.

He hovered over her with his cascading hair of black tickling the sides of her cheek, feeling his entire body wrapped around hers almost trembling right through her. An overload of emotion had escaped her breath and she couldn't describe what was happening to her - or to any of her two Godly bodyguards. When Loki falsely offer her up in pursuit of his own selfish vendettas, Jane hadn't been surprised; she had suspected that much from the God of Mischief to deceive Maliketh and it was incredibly convincing. Jane's assurance of this was when she felt her hands and knees scrape the surface of the dirt and rocks beneath her after being violently thrown at the enemy's feet. Sharp rocks had cut the palms of her hands and tore up her knees from underneath the fabric of her dress. The feeling of warm blood flowing from her wounds began to send a heat through her knees in throbbing bursts of pulsating pain. Before she could resist, her body began to levitate into the air. She was reliving that entire scene as if it was playing like a movie in her head.

With the Aether in clear view, it was struck strongly by the lightning of Thor's hammer. Jane immediately felt Loki's weight slam on top of her, leaving her feeling unsteady with nervous tension. The two of them began observing Thor's mighty blow towards Maliketh and Loki had not left her side for even a second; shielding her – protecting her. All Jane could do was watch and wait while Loki hovered over her. The tension brewed between the two of them, but she tried her best to ignore it. Jane suspected malcontent from Loki. Up until the moment when his body collided with hers as a godly defender, Jane had always expected him to turn on Thor; just waiting for the right moment to strike unexpectedly, but he didn't. She thought she had the right to accuse him of such a thing - yet here he was, playing the role of the hero, and looking damn near frightened while doing it.

Jane had a sudden desire to settle his fears by placing a friendly hand onto his shoulder in an attempt to snap him out of whatever expression he was displaying, but her own fears had her frozen and resisting the urge. He didn't seem like he could tolerate contact like that. Loki loomed over her catatonic form, his gaze fixed on the Aether. Despite having been shattered into a million pieces, scattered amongst the rocks, each shard began to float into the air and re-materialize on its own. Eyes still on the Aether, he huddled even closer to her, preparing for the worst. To their horror, it united itself as if never having been struck by the lightning of Mjölnir, only to then invade Malekith's body. It transformed him into something even darker and more powerful. The Kursed locked eyes with Tho, but then turned his head and nodded to his minions. Several of them stepped forward, challenging the gods with their eyes; Malekith, Algrim, and the remaining Elves turned and began to walk back towards the ship. In the blink of an eye, the altercation between Thor and the remaining Dark Elves pursued once more.

Jane could faintly see Algrim unlatch something from his belt in the distance and toss it over his shoulder, in their direction. Before Jane could even have time to blink, a shot rang out through her ears, and a deadly force surged through her entire body. Just as she felt as though it was being sucked off the ground, Loki's hands shoved her with a violent force, knocking her a few feet away, and instantly breaking the connection between her and the void. Jane whipped her head around and watched as Loki's frame got pulled through the air towards a violently whirling vortex. She immediately realized that his gesture had been a righteous act of sacrifice – to take her place in death. An unexpected sense of fear jolted through her as she watched helplessly, when thankfully Thor intervened, saving Loki just in the nick of time.

However, the Dark Elves had the upper-hand, as they became belligerently combative to gain back what they felt entitled to. Thor and Loki gave it their all, and Jane could do nothing but sit there and observe them, feeling scared and useless. All she could think about was Loki's selfless act. This was supposed to be the vicious God that nearly leveled New York city. Now she was powerless to even to join in and help them to win the war over the fate of the Nine Realms. The Thunder God was off in the distance now, having goaded Algrim back into battle and taking on the beast single handedly. Even from so far away, Jane knew with dread that he was being pummeled within an inch of his life. Loki, on the other hand, had been off in the distance to her right, taking on and defeating four Elves with but a single dagger. She glanced back and forth from Thor to Loki and was terrified – but then suddenly, the Mischief God was no longer there.

Eyes darting back to Thor, she watched in terror as Algrim raised his fist to deliver a final and potentially lethal blow to the blonde's face - when suddenly the black-haired man appeared behind the monster. Picking up Algrim's own blade, Loki impaled it fiercely through the behemoth's back. The blade came out through the other side – but the giant did not fall like he should have. Straightening to his full height, he turned slowly to face Loki. It looked down upon the Trickster with malice and murderous anger. She couldn't see Loki's face in the distance, nor could she see Thor's, but she knew right away that something was very wrong.

…

The Trickster had reluctantly returned to her that evening. As much as he had wanted to keep as much distance between them as possible, he simply couldn't. Now he was standing by her bedside and observed her trembling body as it writhed from the discomfort of her dream. He forced himself to remain still and was unwilling to interfere. He wasn't aware of her night terrors and it looked as though she was unable to wake from the horror. From all her fatigue and distress, it was now apparent that Jane had been forced to dream night after night like a punishment. Loki only wished he knew the cause or it and to do something to help her.

…

The image of Loki being struck violently through his stomach - by the very sword sticking out from the Dark Elf's body - poured into her mind and flooded her subconscious. It was that precise moment when Jane suddenly felt something. It was a feeling of grief for the God who she thought she despised. This epiphany got Jane back up to her feet, as her dream pulled her back in for more.

Shock had taken her prisoner and Jane was unable to comprehend what had happened to her unpredictable savior. Her dark angel had fallen. From the distance he appeared to be writhing in agony. They were so far away from her that she wished she could get closer to do something! Yet she was unable to move a muscle and saw Thor's body jump up from the ground to rush to his brother's side. Once Thor could reached his fallen brother he instantly cradled Loki in his arms. Even from being so far away from her, the love and pain emanating from the brothers was terribly palpable. Jane wanted to look away, but her eyes were tamper-proof and she couldn't shield herself from them. Whatever was keeping her rooted to the ground had suddenly vanished. As quickly as she could Jane got to her feet and started running towards them. She bridged the distance between her, Thor… and her raven-haired savior.

So many thoughts rushed through her head as she was drawing closer to them. Why had Loki saved her? Why did he go against his brother's plan? It didn't make sense that Loki would push Jane out of the way and risk his own life; only to then do it again for Thor. All he had to do was stay put. Thor had explicitly told him to stay out of Algrim's destructive path – that, no matter what happened, Loki was not to interfere and remain by Jane's side to insure her safety. Thor didn't want to risk anymore lives, which he knew he would happen if Loki took on Malekith's sworn henchman.

Her thoughts kept returning to the moment Loki had pushed her out of the way of the vortex. She was so close to them now. Why would he risk his own life for hers when just a couple of years ago, he was ready to enslave humanity? Jane couldn't understand it and she had never felt so ashamed of herself in her entire life. How could she have allowed this to happen? If she would've just stayed away from the anomaly in London in the first place, she would've been Aether-free and none of this would've ever happened. Why was Jane always so selfish to seek self-righteousness? It pained her to think that she couldn't do anything about this! Why couldn't she be powerful enough to have defended herself against Maliketh and his Dark army? Loki had saved her life, and now he was dying – and it was all her fault.

 _It is your fault…_ Said Thor's distant voice – but it didn't come from the Thor that was cradling Loki.

Jane stopped dead in her tracks and whipped her head to her left. Thor appeared as a hazy vision beside her with a disappointed look of betrayal covering his shadowy façade. She looked back to see that the hunched-over God of Thunder with the defeated God of Mischief in his arms was now right in front of her and frozen like a statue. She could make out the blonde's face which was now locked in an anguished scream.

 _My brother is dying because of you..._ the Thor beside her taunted with disgust.

…

"No! I didn't know this was going to happen! Thor, I'm so sorry." Jane cried out desperately as her body started shuddering in her bed. Still caught in the throes of her nightmare. The words were as clear as glass to the Trickster beside her. His lips were pressed into a firm frown.

He didn't know what she was reliving in her head, but she was unsteady and practically shaking with terror. He remained locked in place in the corner of her bedroom and holding himself in position. He could do nothing but resign himself to do no more than observe the effects that this horrific dream was having on her. The risk of getting seen was far too great for the God of Mischief. So he let her have her nightmare. Eventually she would wake up and claim rest again once she settled down with a cup of tea that he knew would calm her down.

Loki listened to Jane beg Thor for his forgiveness and the Liesmith couldn't help but wonder what she had possibly done that was so terrible. Jane Foster was a saint compared to most people - even Gods like him. For her to be seeking a pardon seemed out of character. Was she not as innocent as she made herself out to be? Loki thought that maybe Jane had been a rebel at a younger age, but he could not make sense of that notion. He couldn't picture Jane looking wicked or malicious; she seemed too pure of heart. He almost wished he could have tapped her heart with the Scepter and wondered if he could have controlled her entirely to his will. He wondered how submissive she would have been. The thought sent a jolt of arousal through his veins, but he forced himself to shake those thoughts from his mind and continued to watch Jane struggle.

…

Without knowing the reason why, Jane reached her arms out towards Loki - and only him. Her feet stopped just as she came up beside the Thunder God to examine him. She saw the Trickster's soft and eerily calm expression. The sharp edges and contours of his features had begun to turn ashen. Suddenly, Thor's body that was holding Loki's began to deteriorate; dissipating through the air like leaves in the wind. It left Loki's body lifeless and abandoned.

Jane's own feelings of loneliness had her suddenly taking Thor's place, holding the dark demigod; not wanting him to be alone in his meeting with the Maker. Loki felt like stone, his face full of despair and fear almost like a sad and troubled child. Jane caressed his cheek, holding him close, and placing her forehead to rest on his; his eyes staring ever forward.

…

"I'm so sorry Loki. This was all my fault." Another whimper spewed out of Jane's mouth like vomit.

The real Loki shot a glance at her instantly when he heard his name escape her mouth. He watched her chest rise and fall with heavy breaths. Rushing over to her, he momentarily entertained the idea of waking her, but all he did was stand over Jane's feeble body – a body that was presented to him like a sacrificial offering. Even as a God, a sacrifice wasn't what he had come here for. All he had wanted was to see her again despite her wishes for a peaceful sleep - but not like this. Jane had mentioned her sleepless nights before, but he never suspected she'd be suffering this much during the night.

Loki wanted to wake her; force her to tell him why she was adamantly seeking his forgiveness? His anger took over as the unrelenting feelings for Jane grew within him. He hated what Jane was doing to him. Did she know he was there? Was she see passed his camouflage? Had she forced him to become addicted to these long lost emotions he never thought he would have again? His breaths quickened as he tried to come up with ways to end this torturous ploy.

"You cannot play this game with me, Jane Foster!" he roared back at Jane's unconscious body. She seemed to flinch to his voice – reacting to it somehow – but she never woke.

…

You dare throw your sorrows at me!? The Trickster's voice snarled to Jane's side as an image of another Loki suddenly appearing beside her. The Dark God glared daggers down at her while she held her fallen prince tightly in her arms.

"I wanted to help!" she screamed; her voice was shaking. "I didn't want this to happen to you!" Her uneven cries only caused the hallucination of Loki to grimace even harder at her efforts to reject his distaste for her excuses. Jane pleaded while holding onto the God within her grasp and looked down at her lifeless rescuer. Thick tears fell from her face and landed on his grey cheeks. "You saved my life and you didn't have to… And it's my fault that you're dead, Loki! You have to forgive me! Please! This cannot be happening…" Jane's voice was panicked as her pleas morphed into cries for help - fearing the loss all over again.

As if on cue, Thor's voice and body appeared adjacent to Loki. The two of them towered over her and stood side by side as her final judgment.

 _It's because you are weak Jane._ Thor sneered. _You stood there and did nothing - like the useless mortal that you are. My brother was right about you…_

"No, Thor! You're wrong!" She cried, gripping the god within her arms. "You can't believe that?!"

 _You act as if you care for him!_ The Thunder God suddenly barked at her. 

How could you even think of loving him? He's a deceitful murderer! He didn't save you because he cared for you! He hardly knew you and only did it because you were careless!

Jane was forced into silence, and looked back down at her Guardian Angel, contemplating why she was feeling so desperate to hold onto him. Jane understood that they knew little about one another, but Loki wound up becoming her Protector. She dropped her gaze back to the longing eyes of emerald that now looked grey with death. Jane feared this would be the last she would see their vibrant hue; never again would she witness his charmingly lingering gaze upon her like he did once before. The mere thought of him being permanently gone from this world seemed unbearable now. In her dream it felt like she needed him as badly as she needed air.

"But I—I think I could…care for him." She finally broke through her barriers and fears of her hesitant confession. It had happened so quickly - like a spark igniting a flame even though she had only known Loki a couple of days…How easy it was to fall for someone so troubled by grief and betrayal. His actions that day were more than honorable - rescuing her when he could've carried on without her, and having that lead to his demise. Why would he do such a thing if he didn't have even the slightest interest in her? Jane couldn't bear it any longer.

Thor glared at her with hatred and the vision of the God of Mischief bore her a troubled expression.

…

The real Loki heard her confession, but only looked upon her with utter confusion. This could not be true. If Jane was saying that she could care for him, then she was a bigger liar than he ever was or ever could be. How dare she say such words of sentiment towards a Prince of Asgard - nay, of Jotunheim! How could she even declare such a feeling for someone she hardly knew!? Was this some sort of love-struck behavior she had when meeting any Asgardian prince? And what if those words were referring to Thor!? The thought filled him with an even deeper rage. Loki squeezed his fingers into tight fists, ready to strike - but her pained expression was holding him back.

…

 _And what do you expect to do about it now? I'm dead and Thor will never want to have anything to do with you ever again!_ Jeered the faded image of the towering Loki beside her.

A long moment passed as Jane tried everything in her power to come up with a response and still cradling Loki's lifeless body. She had begun to rock him back and forth, like a mother would a newborn child.

"It's not Thor that I need right now…I need you, Loki; only you know what this loneliness is like, and I can be there for you if you're dead." Jane raised the stakes with her added admissions. It set the confession in stone and into the universe. "I can be here for you as long as you'll let me…I can stay here with you so you won't be alone anymore."

 _I was always meant to be alone! Go back to your precious Thor and leave me to die!_ The image of Loki demanded Jane, but she seemed to be ignoring it.

"Thor won't come for me, and I can't just leave you here. Thor's gone! We can be there for each other if he won't be here for us…" Jane pleaded her case.

…

Loki became wide-eyed at the words that poured out of Jane's lips, not knowing what she could possibly be seeing on the other side of her unconsciousness. She wasn't talking directly to him, this much he knew, but she was talking to a Loki she cared for at this very moment within her nightmare. Loki wanted to scream at Jane – to choke her to death if it meant it would stop the sympathetic lies that were bringing him nothing but that familiar pain of guilt that he despised with a roaring passion. She seemed desperate to hold onto him, as if she was losing him, but how could one lose something they never had to begin with?

That's when Loki knew what she was seeing. Maybe not frame by frame, but the assumption was clear enough. She was saddened and broken after what happened to him on that deserted planet. It was guilt. This only made him more irritated with her, but he couldn't do anything to hurt Jane. He swore to it, and this was a vow that he could not break even if he did hate every word that was coming out of her mouth. Loki let out a sigh and wanted to let out his aggressions on the furniture in the room – but he knew he had to maintain his self-control. He could not afford to cause such a scene. He paced back and forth, trying to drown out her words, but his ears weren't immune to Jane's pleading cries.

…

_I don't need a puny mortal woman caring for me…I have no need of you, Jane Foster!_

"But I need you Loki! That's why you can't die!"

Jane's emotions took over completely as she cried out for the prince even though his voice was infuriated with her. Still, Jane held on as hard as her frail muscles would allow. Loki's corpse began to dissolve in her arms all too suddenly for her mind to keep up with. She began shaking her head furiously as his ashes floated up and around her. She tried to catch any particle that was left of him, as if she was trying to catch bubbles in a panic.

…

"Wait! No! You can't! Please, Loki! You can't do this!" Jane screamed while an increasingly horrified Loki witnessed her unconscious outburst. Suddenly she was reaching her arms out in front of her. The God couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop it!" Loki demanded then and unable to stomach the pain she was in any longer. Impulsively, he clasped his hands onto either side of her shoulders.

Jane's eyes ripped open and stared directly up into Loki's eyes. For a moment, he forgot that she still couldn't see him, his spell still hiding him from her sight. Jane's eyes fluttered, attempting to regain her awareness of her surroundings. Loki quickly let go of her shoulders and cowered in the corner of the room before Jane sat up. She let out a groan from the painful memories that she had been forced to endure once again. As Loki witnessed the sight of her placing her hands on her cheeks to claw at the sides of her face, Jane struggled to try and understand what she had just dreamt. Jabe began to cry.

"It was my fault…" she whimpered. Her tears fell fast in giant droplets, creating a growing pool on the sheet covering her lap. "I couldn't help! I'm sorry for everything." 

Jane began to wonder then, if this was the reason Thor refrained from visiting her. Was he angry with her? Did he blame her for the deaths in his family? Jane's regret and self-hatred had struck her heart like a shotgun blast to the chest. Loki saw her tears but found it hard to understand that they were for him. Jane was crying because she suffered great losses and she blamed herself for them. How could she torment herself for something she was not responsible for? Was Jane that self-deluded that she felt she could to take responsibility for the burden that was once his to bear? Jane cried for too long and Loki was becoming restless himself. Why now and why him? There was no reason for this woman to care this much.

He caught a glimpse of her swinging her legs over the side of the bed to get up on her feet and held her gut with her arms wrapped around her waist. She walked passed Loki without any knowledge of his presence. All Jane wore was the typical underwear and a small camisole that clung to her every curve. Loki's eyes and expression softened; his green orbs locking a mesmerizing stare onto her. Even in her darkest hour she looked breathtakingly beautiful, but Loki commanded himself to hate her for all of the sentiments she seemed to have for him from out of nowhere– particularly by how she wished to remain by his side.

He couldn't do this anymore. He knew he had to end this addiction that he had developed for Jane. He wanted to leave as fast as he could, and he knew he should – oh, he should - but Jane's control on him was magnetic. He was caught in her orbit, and realized he was now unable to escape.

Jane didn't like this memory; the one she had relived countless times along with her usual series of nightmares. It wasn't so much the fear of the unknown that swallowed her courage, but her inability to control whatever it was that possessed her thoughts. Whatever Jane had encountered that afternoon while exploring the tears was something of evil. It was full of selfishness, anger, and envy that had nearly consumed her longer it lingered. Even with the Aether out of her system, Jane had wondered if there was still some of it left in there. Maybe it was causing the lack of sleep. As a scientist, Jane had gone through the never-ending list of theories as to what was causing them to occur, but none of them had seemed plausible. If she somehow did carry a sliver of the Aether, was it killing her? Was the Aether causing her to lay awake every single day thinking about everything she had experienced or was she being punished for her mistakes? Jane's own rage consumed her now, while Loki witnessed the torment creep up into her expression. Before he could react to this, she snapped.

Anger consumed her as she began throwing a fit, picking up random objects, and hurling them across the room. She turned on her feet and reached for her sheets, ripping them off her bed and throwing the linens around the room. Loki stood in awe of her mental outburst, knowing all too well how much rage could cause one to act simply on impulse. Experiencing her breakdown, while sitting back and merely observing, was more entertaining than shocking. It was astounding that such a small mortal woman could cage such a monster within her and her patience with the situation seemed to seize to exist.

After a few good minutes of expending what little energy she had left, she collapsed to the floor in front of her bed, and latched onto the bedding for dear life. She burst into tears and began bawling into the sheets. Jane was completely wounded with grief and hunched to the ground. Loki finally found his way beside her at just the right time. He knelt down to meet her at eye level; watching her shove her face deeper within the linens.

"Please Jane, stop crying." Loki whispered softly, and when he did her sobbing began to settle down some.

She pulled her head back a bit to allow herself to breath, even though she felt she didn't deserve to. Loki could read that all over her face. He knew that look all too well.

"It wasn't your fault." Loki tried to explain even though she couldn't hear him. "If anyone is to be blamed, it's me... Not you." His accountability had been a first for him, but it didn't feel as sickening as he had thought it would. Because all of this was his doing; he had been the one to fake his own death - reason number one of why he didn't have the nerve to show his face now. He looked over at her carefully, but she hadn't stop crying. "It was not your fault!" He repeated with assertion.

Jane's head turned abruptly towards Loki's direction as if she had heard him loud and clear. He knew she couldn't see him, but her sudden jolt in his direction, followed by swiftly wiping the tears from her cheeks, was evidence that maybe she could hear him behind the veil. Jane's eyes were fixed onto him and burrowed into his chest as the dark golden spheres gave him little effort to focus. Never had he seen someone so hypnotizing as Jane Foster - and who knew? He wanted to hold her then; to touch her face, and cradle her neck in his hands. He let the words of her subtle devotion for him resonate within his memories. Jane continued to look at him even though she saw nothing.

For a moment, Loki couldn't help but pretend and think that she could. Her concentration was locked onto him unknowingly. Oblivious to reality, Loki almost didn't notice her hand reach out to him. It wasn't a sudden motion, but very isolated and careful… almost hesitant. Loki averted instantly, but her eyes didn't follow him. He watched while she reached her hand out as if to touch something in front of her, but then it dropped to the floor. She looked like she had been stung with regret and tears began to flood back to her eyes. Loki thought he should be rechristened as the God of Irony, seeing as how Jane was desperate to hope that her God of Mischief was here in her room and alive - even though he was.

Loki was frightened of Jane; frightened that she could possibly care for him. He never expected to be afraid of something so wonderful, but he couldn't help but shy away from it. He'd rather Jane suffer in the pain of her inner struggle than reveal himself to her. She couldn't know that he was alive. This was not part of the plan; her compassion for him was not part of the plan. Loki stood up, feeling disgusted and almost sick to his stomach at the sudden realization. How was this even possible for her to feel this much empathy for someone she had done nothing or say as much of a peep to him?

Loki had no idea what to do - if he should even do anything. He could leave her be. That would be the intelligent decision. Time would eventually heal her grief, since Jane seemed to have gotten over his brother fairly quickly. How Jane managed to suddenly care for The God of Mischief was a mystery to him, and it would have to remain so. Loki straightened himself up into his harsh stance, letting that truth settle in his brain, and gave himself a reason to leave once and for all. This was the final straw. Loki gave Jane one last look. Leaning in towards her ear, his lips just inches from her skin, he spoke his final words to her.

"Goodbye, my darling Jane," he whispered softly, giving her the swiftest, softest kiss against her cheek. Before Loki could even notice Jane's awareness of his voice or the feathery touch of his lips, the God of Mischief had vanished.


	4. It's a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki returns to Asgard with the intent of leading Thor back to see Jane knowing she needs him, but Thor has bigger tasks that demand his attention. Loki is left having to go back to Midgard only to discover Jane getting an unexpected phone call from an old acquaintance. The God of Mischief isn't too thrilled about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read my Loki x Jane pairing! To be clear, I do not own Marvel. And I have to thank my dear friend Sarah for assisting me with this and motivating me to writing it. Enjoy!

Loki returned to Asgard after his last couple days of observing Jane while she struggled unbearably with her nightmares. She grieved the losses of Thor's loved ones that she blamed herself for. All because the Aether had corrupted and plagued her mind. It was difficult to resist the urges to reveal himself to her; the risks being too great. The thought of merely touching was incredibly strong, but he fought back those careless desires. There seemed to be nothing he could do that would reassure that she wasn't truly alone in her torment.

It was obvious that they shared similarities. The two had felt equally responsible for their losses which made Loki eager to make sure Jane would not suffer as he had. It killed him that he was unable to be there when Frigga died, nor was he able to be present at her funeral. It too had taken a toll on his conscience and it wasn't her burden to bear. And she was certainly not responsible for his death. At a brief moment of weakness he had only wanted to protect her. Loki had never thought of himself as the "Guardian" type, but witnessing her anguish, then and now, was proof that she needed help through the pain of her confused grief.

So where was Thor during all this?

Part of her misery was due to the fact that he was absent from her life. after all that had happened to her, and his brother's empty promises started to infuriate the God of Mischief. She needed Thor to comfort her now more than ever and he had yet to come see her. Loki knew he couldn't be the one to console the distressed scientist, as much as it pained him to admit it. He would've done anything to take back his forged death if it meant it would have eased her suffering. He had to leave her; he couldn't prove that he was alive. That would have only made matters worse. Since he couldn't be the one to confide in, Loki had to find Thor and demand him to go to her straightaway.

Once Loki returned home he resumed the role as the Allfather. He was greatly relieved to see his absence had not stirred any suspicions. That following night Loki had paced back and forth as he contemplated the events he'd witnessed during the time he'd spent visiting Ms. Fosger. It took everything in his power to try and convince himself that he didn't care for the mortal woman, but his heart felt otherwise and began considering finding a way to help her. Clearly, the God of Mischief was not the one to do so at risk of exposing himself to Heimdal. Giving into his temptations would bd an equally drastic mistake. Yet, these resdon were not enough to stop Loki from worrying. Doing so was only driving him mad and made him want to plunge himself back into the Abyss if it meant that his feelings for Jane would end.

It was then decided that Loki needed to confront Thor somehow. Coincidentally he had been given word by the Palace Guard that Thor wished to speak with his father. The Trickster knew this would be the onlh opportunity he to encourage Thor to check on Jane as soon as possible. Loki didn't want to care, but it seemed impossible for him not to.

The Palace Guard had announced Thor's arrival. Odin's imposter beckoned the chosen son to come forward. The prince of Asgard sauntered towards the disguised Loki and there was doubt in his eyes. Loki mirrored his brother's concerned expression and wondered what troubled him that he needed audience at such an early hour. Odinson seemed eager to speak, and Loki greeted him with effortless endearment.

"You wish to speak with me son? Tell me, what troubles you at such an early hour dear boy?" Loki mastered the disguise as he watched Thor hang his head in despair.

"I did not mean to disturb you father, but I'm afraid I am here to insist my leave with Sif and the Warrior's Three right away. It's a matter of great importance and my presence has been requested. Heimdal has informed me that there's been a disturbance back on Svartalfheim. For that I need my strongest and see what's lurking there." Thor seemed eager to leave quickly. But Loki needed him to see Jane regardless of what was left on the deserted realm.

"I'm sure it is of no concern of ours to whatever is left out there. Surely you have…other priorities that could use your undivided attention? You must be hurting. Don't you think you ought to take some time?" Odin's impersonator had insinuated insistently, but Thor didn't seem so easily persuaded.

"I suspect Maliketh or possibly something greater, but I must go to be sure. I cannot risk the danger of my family, friends, or Jane for that matter. She would understand." Thor seemed to have little concern for Jane at all. The Allfather stood from his throne; taking Gungnir only to meet with his "son" face to face. As much as he agreed with Thor, especially if his reservations were correct. So who was left to help Jane cope. He couldn't very well admit that he knew something was in fact wrong with her.

"Has Heimdal made sure Jane has been taken care of? If Maliketh had survived, she could be in danger." Odin had voiced his trepidations to which Thor still seemed disconcerted, but only because his father hadn't much concern for his mortal partner and rarely expressed any interest in her.

"I do worry for her safety father, but I cannot seek her out before I investigate Svartalfheim. In fact I was hoping you could send someone her in my stead or ask Heimdal to keep extra watch over her just as a precaution." Thor's request and reasons were sound. Loki considered it for a moment and brgan to wonder how he could accomplish this. Certainly he could not do this with Odin's face, or his own for that matter. Not after what had happened the last time he attempted to see her. He still couldn't wipe the visions of her suffering and sadness from his mind.

"Very well. Be safe my son." His act was convincing enough and placed a loving hand on Thor's shoulder. Odinson was grateful, thanked his Father, then turned and took his leave.

Loki watched his brother as he left; his grip on Gungnir tightened with anxiety, for fate had a funny way of leading him places he didn't wish to go. The God of Mischief trusted no one other than Thor to go back to protect Jane from her horrific nightmares. Figured it was an ironically inevitability that he'd be the one having to return once more. The very idea both frightened and excited him. He risked everything going to her again. Yet, at the same time it was comforting knowing he'd be close by and know she was in safe hands.

Loki held Gungnir in both hands, looking down at it with misperception, and started to second guess everything he was doing by taking on the Odin disguise. Would he be doing the right thing going bavk to Jane? As a God all he wanted was power and submission, but as a man he seemed to only want Jane. Was it his destiny to return to Jane, or was this him choosing his own path? Whichever the reason, time was of the essence, and Loki knew he needed to make a decision and return quickly if that is what he chose to do.

He took to the balcony and gazed at the view of the realm. Off in the distance was the portal where Heimdal stood watch. Thor would be on his way to a Svartalfheim soon; with no one to be by Jane's side when she needed it most. Loki's frustration caused him to slam his fists against the marble railing. It was clear what he had to do, and the obvious realization had frightened him.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_The malevolent phone rang._

Jane pried her eyes open with what little effort she possessed and in no mood to answer the phone. Not after yesterday's explosive episode and Jane could care less that it was almost midafternoon. It left her feeling worn out as she laid in her bed with the worst mental hangover she's ever had in her life. Jane let the monotonous rings go on forever until the answering machine picked up. Memories of Loki's death kept returning and left Jane motionless as she buried her head in the pillow that was still stained with her tears. Why couldn't she shake them?

All this began to feel reminiscent of her last two relationships that didn't seem to go well. Jane was beating herself senseless for letting her emotions get this debauched for a God she hardly knew, not that it meant anything anyway considering he was dead. Regardless of how close they had gotten, it didn't refrain her from wondering if there could've been room to get to know the Trickster. Remembering the odd occurrences from the last two days made her truly wonder if he had been ghostly present somehow. Anything was possible as far as Jane was concerned. She could've sworn she heard his voice whisper her name, touching her ever so slightly, and then a gentle kiss as a final farewell. It was the only pleasant thought she took from the night before, and it made her smile faintly.

Jane let the last ring sound. The "leave a message after the beep" cued, followed by a familiar voice; it was Richard which immediately broke her regretful reveries.

"Hello Jane, this is Richard. Uh…I suppose I'm calling to see how everything's going. I know we haven't spoken in a few weeks, but I uh been thinking a lot about you lately and uh…thought maybe you'd like to have dinner with me again sometime…if you want…no pressure of course. I totally understand if you'd rather take up something far more interes…" Jane couldn't help but smirk a little at his sarcastic bashfulness. The man's confidence was almost non-existent, but more than what hers was at the moment.

Despite his lack of self-assurance, here was the perfect opportunity to take a chance to get some fresh air and have some fun for a change. There was no shame in wanting a bit of company. Even if there wasn't much chemistry with Richard he wasn't unpleasant to be around. He was actually a very sweet gentleman and completely harmless. Even Jane had to admit he was attractive in a "dorky-British-guy" kind of way and he had a way of making her laugh with his nervous charm, so that scored him a few Jane points. She never did like having to take life so seriously all the time even when she was neck deep in her work. These were enough reasons to convince herself that there was no harm with indulging the nice man on his offer since she was clearly doing nothing productive. Besides, she sure could use some fresh air right about now. And wasn't that the point to this wannabe vacation? Jane picked up the receiver with Richard in mid-sentence.

"Richard?" Jane cut in sounding like a chain smoker, her voice a lot more hoarse than she had intended and she wanted to smack herself.

"Oh! Hello Jane! Did I wake you? I can call back later…" Richard asked sounding implausibly excited.

"Yeah, no…sorry I was...outside. Just got back from a run." Jane turned over onto her back.and face palmed herself for making the stupidest excuse ever made.

"Oh okay…Well I uh…was just thinking, now that I have you on the phone, that maybe…"

"I'd love to. How about tonight?" Jane didn't waist a second and didn't want to torture the man by making him have to ask twice.

Loki stood in the corner of her room and couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was incredibly distracting and wondered why he bothered to come back in the first place; despite his worries he had for her. Yet, he still found himself relentlessly and emotionally involved. You would think that luck would be something he was born with, being the God of Mischief, but unfortunately he had come at the worst possible time. Hearing her agree to meet with some lame excuse for a mortal made Loki pace back and forth while he observed Jane's bashful giddiness. What sort of lemming could make her do that? Who else could make her smile so blazingly? And better yet, who on Midgard was this Richard? Loki cringed at the thought of some ordinary shmoe coming to court the one woman he had begun to fancy. Again, jealousy crept into his emotions, just as it usually did whenever he felt envious for someone he truly wanted for his own. This sudden realization had Loki wondering if this was the reason why he kept returning to her; he desired her.

After what had transpired the night before, Loki couldn't get her voice out of his head. He hadn't dreamt much of women before Jane, not that there hadn't been a few before, but the mortal left her impression on him and Loki had imprinted on her like a wolf. It wasn't something he knew how to switch off which felt unrelenting, but the God was desperate to explore the workings of her mind once given the chance. In the meantime he'd begun to find satisfaction with simply watching over her and vowing to never get too close even if it killed him. He would keep his distance as long as it meant he could be in the presence of her.

Now that he understood what she meant to him, he waited till she woke up, but what she woke up to was something he hadn't expected. This most certainly was something he had wished he hadn't witnessed. Loki had made her smile a few times, but nothing near as endearing or significant than the one she was displaying now. Hearing the voice of that imbecile from the other side of this communication device made him white knuckled with resentment towards this new object of Jane's affections. The God of Mischief was quick to eavesdrop.

"Wow, really!?...I mean great!" Richard replied with childish glee. He seemed unprepared by Jane's consent to going out to dinner with him again, considering how their first date had been short lived. "I'll take you to 'Blumenthal's', I hear it's new."

Loki watched Jane spring flamboyantly out of bed, not believing or approving of how much her behavior had altered since the night before. He observed her quietly while she paced around the room and syncing her schedule with this fool. The God leaned against the wall and continued spying on her and listening in on her conversation and feeling ultimately aggravated.

"That sounds great!" Jane replied with delight while Loki rolled his eyes and feeling repulsed.

"Alright then Jane I'll see you soon," Richard complied while Loki mimicked him out of spite and mocking sarcastically obscene hand gestures from behind her.

"I can't wait." Jane said it like enthusiastic word vomit. She heard Richard laugh nervously and she giggled timidly in return. "I'll just talk to you later, goodbye Richard." She spoke hastily and hung up on him before she could hear his response. She clutched the phone in her hand and almost slammed it against her forehead looking pained by that abnormal agreement to a date she was to have that very evening. She hadn't seen Richard in a while, and despite her lack of much interest for him, she still fancied him as a friend and she really felt she could use one right now. Yet, hearing him sound equally excited about it had reluctantly flattered her.

Loki couldn't help but feel enormously disappointed by her sudden change of pace and how much she was glowing with enthusiasm. Instead of seeing het struggling like before she looked to be feeling much better than she had the last couple nights. Loki was tense with jealousy and not about to let this happen, at least not smoothly. The Trickster understood he couldn't simply stop her from going so The God decided to take it upon himself to be her unofficial, yet required, chaperone. Loki didn't trust this "Richard" in the slightest and made it his responsibility to not allow her to be fooled by this character. He was prepared to do just about anything in his power to make sure this night would fail.

Loki had to endure much of Jane's suddenly frantic state, in preparation for her date with "Richard". She ran back and forth from romm to room with a bit of a new kick to her step. Various articles of clothing, accessories, and footwear had been tossed around and created random piles all over the floor. This unfamiliar act had confused the God and was unsure why she was putting all her energy and efforts for the sake of this foolish outing. Traditionally women who were courted were pampered by servants and catered to without all the hassle. The fact that Jane raced about her apartment having to do most of the work herself for this absurd man was beyond the Trickster's comprehension.

Had it been Loki meeting her for dinner, he would've sent her the most lavish of gifts; a beautiful gown to suit her perfect figure along with jewels to adorn her enticingly long and inviting neck. Loki had to almost smack himself to break away from his daydream. He watched Jane carefully and noticed she had a natural ability to look amazing without needing much of anything to improve her features. To him she was simply stunning. He had seen her unburdened more than enough times to know she was better that way; no costume or face paint required. If Loki had his way he would've loved nothing more than to see her without any clothing at all. The thought made his palms sweaty.

Now she was pacing more quickly; two and froe, while deciding on just the right combination as if she was trying to solve a complicated equation. Not that he was complaining; Jane could make tattered rags look divine on her, not that Loki wished to see such a thing. However, he watched as she pulled out a rather impressive and enticing little black dress from deep within the confines of her cluttered closet. As much as this entire charade semi-entertained the God of Mischief, he had begun to start contemplating her fashion choices, observing her combinations and not liking any of them at all. She struggled with pairing what little she owned, even though it was clear that the fitted black dress would be the more impeccable choice if it were him she was seeing this evening; simple with just the right amount of elegance. Loki prayed she didn't wise up and pick that one, not knowing what he would do if Richard were to see her wearing that. To his dismay she held it up to her body while observing herself in the mirror. She smirked to one side and seemed to have made her decision. Loki wanted to scream in defeat, but allowed her to continue rummaging through her wardrobe.

Loki had followed her to the restaurant where the two were to meet amd didn't much enjoy having to witness her new state of excitement or the way she looked in the slinky black dress that clung to her every curve. It showed off her gorgeous bare legs and paired her ensemble with a rather tall black heal that made her almost a foot taller than she really was, but still shorter than the God who unenthusiastically followed her. With much disapproval leaking from his expression, Loki both adored and despised her appearance. She had fixed her hair in a way that made it cascade down her back which only made him want to run his hands through it. What irritated him the most was that she wasn't merely dressed for a friendly meeting, but quite possibly as an attempt for more attention that would surpass dinner. How could she desire the company of some mundane mortal after she had spent time with the God of Thunder; surly her expectations and priorities were at a much higher standard. The Trickster did not approve of her persistent behavior, and would see to it that he rid Jane of "Richard" for good.

And there Richard sat, sitting patiently at the table set for two and waiting for his plus one. Jane seemed embarrassed from being so fashionably late as usual, but by the look on Richard's face he didn't seem to care in the slightest. Like a gentlemen, Richard stood from his seat and greeted Jane with a charming grin and took her hand into his and gave her a polite kiss on the very cheek Loki had placed the evening before. Had Jane forgotten that already? Loki felt a bit injured by the mere thought of this, but ignored his insecurities and watched as Jane was lead to her seat. She seemed only too impressed by his staple manners.

Fumed with rage, Loki wanted to destroy Richard and not give him even an ounce of mercy and take Jane away from this place of mundane routines. Being all too possessive, Loki felt his adrenalin rising and took in a few breaths to calm his nerves. Rage was brewing within the God, but knew he had to be more than a little discreet while being out in the public eye. So he quietly stood watch from the empty table next to them to make sure Richard wouldn't perform any more funny business with his little scientist.

The two of them had engaged in the typical small talk; where Loki discovered she had seen this man once before and not at all delighted about it. They had seen each other right before the madness with Maliketh had started, and Loki didn't know how much this man knew of the struggles she had faced during all of this. Was Thor aware of Richard? With little knowledge of the Midgardian's intentions, Loki needed to keep this man's hands off of Ms. Foster. She has seen far more than any mortal dared to witness, and had the affections of not just one, but two Gods of Asgard. For her to be wasting any precious time with the lemming was almost insulting. Jane needed to be recognized for her accomplishments, not struggling with loneliness and pain. Loki's opinions of her had grown immensely and hardly saw her as a mortal at all.

The God knew he needed to act fast and saw that Jane was leaning in a little too closely towards the man. Before Richard could reach his hand to caress any part of her face with the pitiful excuse she had something there, Loki tipped over Jane's wine glass that was far enough away from them that spilling it all over her lap didn't maje much sense. Their Waiter acted quickly while Jane was bashful enough to insist she was fine and that it was nothing to trouble them with. Richard was extremely apologetic, but Jane kept shaking her head to insist there was nothing to apologize for.

"I'm so sorry Jane, I'm such a clumsy sod." Richard affronted himself thinking it had been his doing when it was none of them at all, but Jane insisted he didn't have to be so apologetic; for she was just as clumsy as he was, if not more.

"Don't even worry about it. At least I'm not wearing anything white, then I would probably have to murder you." Jane couldn't resist poking little fun and it seemed to draw a smirk from her date and lesson the awkward tension.

Loki's prank seemed to only draw them closer into more playful behavior, which was not the God's intention. He needed to be a more persistent. He wasn't impressed with Richard and didn't think he was much to look at. His face was disproportioned, and his hair didn't lay correctly; shaggy at best. Loki hadn't a clue what this man did, or what Jane saw of him, but whatever it was that made him exceptional to her wasn't enough to take up Jane's valuable time. Loki sat contemplating on his next move. He took his time speculating and eyeballed different objects around the dining hall. He wanted to make this man look like an imbecile who was unworthy of Jane's affections. He needed to distract Jane from this man, and decided to act to interrupt their discussion.

Jane was in the middle of her babbling when a faint image of Loki appeared passing right behind Richard which caught her eye immediately. She sat back quickly in her chair with a stunned inhale. Her face turned as white as her dinner napkin. Richard noticed as she sat there frozen still. Her attention was fixated over his shoulder to whatever it was that glided past them. It made Richard curious as he turned to glance behind him and saw nothing. He turned back to Jane who had remained in an almost hypnotic state and waved a hand in front of her.

"Jane?" He asked waving a hand again. " _Jane!_ " He raised his voice just an octave higher to grab her attention that managed to do the trick.

Jane's eyes darted directly back to Richard's as he gave her an awkward smirk.

"Huh? What was I saying?" Jane shook her head as if to wipe her mind on whatever or whoever it was that just haunted her dinner table.

"You look like you just saw a ghost, are you okay?" He asked with genuine concern. Jane seemed touched by this, and attempted to save face and lied.

"Yes, of course! I thought I just saw someone I knew, but it wasn't. I'm sorry." As she apologized Richard just gave her a reassuring smirk.

"Well, good. I'd hate for more interruptions. It looked like you were about to have a heart attack." Jane didn't respond and fiddled with pieces of food on her plate. "Who was it; an old boyfriend? Do I need to be manly and beat him up?" Richard said sarcastically as a joke, and Jane wanted to laugh but had to force it while Loki stood by and almost snarled at him.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked once more. Jane smiled and took his hand in reassurance.

"Yes I am. Let's talk about something else." She requested politely, but Loki could see through her false expression of contentment and saw the burning curiosity. He could see fear whirling behind her eyes which made the Trickster smirk with satisfaction. He had been successful with his efforts to distract her which caused a smug chuckle to escape.

Then it seemed that their conversation had begun to escalate into more personal matters that caught Loki's attention after what seemed like a lifetime of just more boring drivel about work, the weather, and the events that transpired in London during the near inevitable triumph of Maliketh. Loki and Richard heard about her triumphant victory with Thor and her friends, but hearing it from Jane's perspective was endearing and admired her enthusiasm and confidence as if it was new to the Trickster. It was the first time he had heard her express genuine excitement and joy. She told Richard almost everything that had happened, but not enough to tell him she spent time on the other realms; the mortal seemed to believe her. Then the God heard his name escape her lips as she came to a sudden halt in her storytelling. Jane's mood shifted, as if something she mentioned triggered something within her.

As this happened, Jane placed her elbows against the edge of the table. Her hands gripped at her forehead as the altercation on Svartalfheim replayed in her mind. Richard seemed apprehensive by her behavior. The awkwardness was now building, but he was more concerned by the sudden shift from her delighted mood. He was certain that something was wrong. 

"Jane?" Richard's tone was sympathetic while Jane seemed to be fighting back pain.

Loki knew what was aggravating her, and simply wanted to almost take her away from this measly little planet. He would take her to Thor if it meant she'd be happier. It sickened him having to witness Jane sit in front of Richard and having to force herself to seek joy rather than be alone. What could this human do for her? Nothing.As for Loki, he felt just as useless. Made him no better than the mortal.

"I-I'm so sorry Richard, I thought I was ready for this," Jane was suddenly feeling incredibly disheartened.

"I wish I knew what was bothering you," Richard tried to offer a shoulder to lean on, but Jane didn't seem to break from her obvious state of anguish.

"No, I think I just need to go. I'm really sorry Richard," Jane pushed her chair away from the table before Richard could protest her decision.

Jane grabbed her purse and left the table in hurry, nearly running out of the restaurant, and left Richard by his lonesome at the dinner table completely dumbstruck. Loki was quick to follow, but knew he had to resist the urge. It took almost every ounce of resistance he had to not stop to calm her down. She looked more distressed than he had preferred and knew she was heading straight home. Instead, he was quicker than she was and decided to meet her back to her apartment with intent on helping her through her time of need with as much of a welcome as he could without showing himself, hoping that when she returned she wouldn't feel so awful and destroyed by her grief. He hated how anytime he played his games with her, was making her feel worse. The God wanted to kick himself for his tricks that made his scientist more aggravated, but what else was he to do; this was his only way of showing her she wasn't alone, that she still had a God among her taking care of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely followers!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my story so far! I'm hoping you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to all of you who left me kudos! If it wasn't for you all I wouldn't have had the motivation to finish up Chapter 3! I'm trying my best to stick to the MCU cannon, but much has changed since the start of this, so I have to rework a few things so it may take longer to get Chapter 4 uploaded. Please be patient with me! Chapter 4 will be coming soon! Thanks again everyone!
> 
> ~TheChampion04


	5. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Loki find themselves in a very steamy situation, but Jane can't stop thinking about what others would think of her or what they would do if they found out that Loki was actually alive.

The walk home felt endless as Jane strolled aimlessly through the London streets. She couldn't see much through the dense fog, not that she seemed to care where her feet took her, but somehow ended up in the park. There wasn't much desire left in her to return home right away, but she couldn't help but beat herself up over the feeling of being responsible for the pain she dealt with constantly, and wondering if this was her punishment. Jane didn't understand why Loki's death troubled her so much, but it did, and she couldn't help but crave some forgiveness. Maybe that's why she felt like she needed Thor; so that he could forgive her for what had happened. Regardless, going back to her apartment only meant crawling back into her hole of despair, and she wanted to enjoy what little fresh air she was getting.

The Astrophysicist ran a discouraged hand through her long chestnut colored hair, taking the pins out to let it flow freely through the night air; unable to look up from the ground. She was feeling so lost, alone, and helpless; incapable of pin pointing where she had went wrong. Did Thor hate her for what happened? Is that why he wasn't coming back? Did he blame her as much as she blamed herself? What about Loki? Why did he go out of his way to rescue her; why did he risk his life for hers? The various thoughts made little sense to her. Other than the fact that the Aether had buried itself within her blood, Jane didn't consider herself significant enough to possess the power to wield such an unfamiliar element she knew absolutely nothing about. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt, and her constant thoughts of what had transpired between her and the two Gods of Asgard had pushed her to her limits.

Her involuntary stride had led her to the edge of the duck pond. The currents and evening air felt motionless. Jane stood and looked down at her reflection on the water surface for a good long time in deep contemplation of where she could possibly go or do next, and how to move passed the painful memories of the last few months. She saw that she had been crying the entire trip to where she now stood, wondering how long it would be until she could feel whole again. Feeling the shallowness of her heart was unbearable and was desperate in leaving London as soon as she could. She could hardly stand this dreary place, wishing she could be back in New Mexico where the stars had shown the brightest and where she felt the most at home. Once Eric and Darcy returned from their visit with S.H.I.E.L.D, Jane made it her new goal to catch the next flight back to America immediately. At least there she could seek out S.H.I.E.L.D, suck it up, and simply take the position they had offered her as a lead scientist in their intergalactic division that was lacking in the know how.

However, Jane still held a deep grudge for how that organization had treated her the first time she had encountered them while they raided her lab in New Mexico, and remembered that kind smile Agent Coulson had given her that she just read as smug. Yet, the thought of surrounding herself with research made her heart yearn for the action again. Charting the stars and the idea of exploring them exhilarated the scientist, making her take in a deep breath. Jane began feeling cold, and figured it was best to head back to her flat where a nice warm cup of coffee was waiting for her. Jane took the time to look up for a moment, unable to see the starry sky, but knew it was there surrounding her small and miniscule little planet, and began secretly wishing she could go back the realm of Asgard most of all.

Jane returned home, not bothering to place her purse on the coat rack, and was keen on dropping her belongings at the door. Loki had been waiting impatiently for her return, which had taken longer than he had preferred, and saw that her mascara was running long trails down her cheeks and her hair looked a bit disheveled; she looked miserable. His scientist must've walked for bit, seeing that she looked a bit tousled. Feeling ultimately horrible for ditching Richard without an explanation, Jane sauntered through the room with not much effort to get out of her cloths, and as Loki followed her, she went directly into her washroom, but slammed the door in the God's face unaware. Loki felt as if her state of despair was his doing, and regrettably rest his forehead against the door, wishing he could apologize to her for everything he had put her through. Why was he so hell-bent on unknowingly elevating her misery?

"Jane I'm sorry," He spoke softly.

The door opened after a moment he whispered those words. She stood under the threshold looking at either end of the hallway, seeing nothing as usual, and then returned to lean against the sink as Loki leaned against the door frame, watching as she began rinsing her face with cold water. Observing herself in her bathroom mirror, she could see it in her face; the dark circles underneath her eyes which made her look like a corpse, her lips were pale, and she had lost a few pounds that she didn't need to loose, making her look even more lifeless. It was as if she was feeling sick, and wondered because one thing was certain: she was not well.

Jane couldn't help but start thinking about what Darcy and Eric were up to; the two of them were still back in America with S.H.I.E.L.D to take over her research in her absence, which gave her a bit of stress since she had yet to hear from them. It wasn't as if they couldn't handle business without her, but the thought of them connecting with Thor or anything in the universe without her made her want to scream. Her search for more knowledge of the universe was becoming more than an obsession; it was becoming, to her, a meaning to her life, and to the point where she could hardly function. This of course was not healthy; she knew this. However, the thought of living her life without made her feel useless, lose all meaning to life, and would simply stop breathing. Maybe this fanatical behavior was what had been keeping her up all night; otherwise what was tormenting her in her sleep. She wanted something -anything, to show up on her small boring planet. She didn't care what or who; just something she could devote her attention to, since it was all she knew or even cared to know. Nothing else seemed to matter more than her thirst for interstellar travel, and to track down Thor on her own just so she could give him a piece of her mind.

Her infuriated expression had Loki curious as he followed her back out to the living room. Jane paced the floor of her apartment in the dark starting to think back to her dreams and attempting to make some sense out of them, along with the unexplained events that were happening mysteriously throughout her apartment, and especially the particular one the night before as she dreamed of her longing to save Loki on Svartalfheim. Thinking about his death made the midnight air even more crisp than it actually was which flowed through the rooms from the open window. The moonlight still illuminated a bit of the apartment, casting black silhouettes to dance around the walls. She found herself rummaging through kitchen cupboards for a mug and turned the coffee pot on to make her a nice cup of the concoction that always seemed to ease her anxious contemplations.

She didn't have a clue as to know why she couldn't stop feeling responsible for the death of Loki or even Frigga, nor why it pained her so much that it was causing her so much grief. She couldn't help but think about that smile he gave her, how he was constantly watching her even though he thought she wasn't noticing, or even that velvety tone that came from his voice that seemed to give her the chills whenever he spoke. Now it seemed that it was all she could hear, as if couldn't forget, letting it exist as if it was somehow real if that were possible. Maybe hearing his voice was all in her mind after all. Jane had to admit she could really use someone to talk about all of this, which made her wonder why the hell Thor was still lacking in her life. Why wasn't he here to console her worries and grieve with her? Or why hadn't she been invited back to Asgard; which she would much rather be than on Earth. At least she'd have people there she could talk to; even allow herself to be there for his friends and father. He had to have been in much more pain than her since it was his family he had lost. Unable to be there for the God of Thunder though this aggravated her. She wanted their relationship to be more open and much closer than this so that she could tell him that everything was going to be alright.

Jane whirled some cream into the black liquid she poured from the finished pot, remembering the last time she had done so, resulted in a sudden frozen over mug. The random memory made her smile from a more intriguing moment when a gust of wind flew through the room, causing Jane to look over her shoulder in an instant as it had startled her. However, she couldn't help but think that she saw something move out of the corner of her eye like she had witnessed a few times before. She set the mug and spoon on the counter and walked towards the open window, leaving the hot cup of coffee in the kitchen. She stood by the windowsill, leaning out to see if there were any signs of mischief. Other than the rustling of the wind through the trees, it was silent. She closed and secured the shutters of the window and took a deep breath. Taking a step back, she leaving the curtains open, so that the moonlight remained in the room.

Another noise captured her attention again from behind her as she quickly turned to see what it was, but there was nothing. She couldn't explain the sound; it was almost like a light hum or whisper, taunting her every curious step. There was a feeling of relief yet it was almost more irritation than suspicion, because this game she had somehow become a part of was better than the anxiety of being alone. But Jane was exhausted, let go of a smirk, and decided to get ready for bed despite the lack of sleep she would surely not receive.

Jane had gotten semi undressed and made her way back to her bedroom and aimlessly crawled into her bed. She pulled the covers over her as Loki stood watch in the corner of her room - camouflaged from view, making him invisible. The wind was definitely a factor he did not plan on dealing with when coming to see her again; nearly gave him away as it too had startled him and almost dropped his spell. Yet, he remained unseen by her and was relatively grateful for it. For the last few days he had been watching her pace the apartment, alone in her thoughts, and trapped in her dreams. On the first day of his arrival Loki had plans on leaving the second he saw that she was at least alive and just leave it at that, but what he saw was unexpected; saw that she had been crying over Thor and feeling responsible for the Trickster's forged death which had infuriated him. Yet, the more he observed Jane the more he had convinced him that she was worthy of his older brother, and of the The God of Mischief's concern, seeing how much she was enduring on her own.

So much passion and power had been dwelling within her for so long, and just waiting to burst out and prove to the entire world she knew better than most Midgardians. Loki envied her. He envied the very essence that allowed her to live through her own turmoil and heartache. He didn't know how she managed to live among all the lemmings she was surrounded by which made Jane a Goddess in Loki's mind; capable of whatever she desired. It was her resilient spirit that kept bringing The God of Mischief back to see her.

With every return Loki began to notice how much more grisly she looked. Even Loki had begun to wonder why Thor never came to see her after their fight with Maliketh; he had the option even when he hid behind Odin's face. Yet, here she was; lost in her own mind and crying over a God that had unfortunately managed to have broken her heart countless times over. Now she was left grieving over the loss of Loki which must've been utterly and emotionally exhausting. Instead of letting his anger over this consume him, Loki almost envied Thor. To have someone as magnificent as Jane, who truly wanted and needed you so close to them, sounded blissfully pleasing. Loki had many moments where he wanted to comfort her, but knew he could not. However, just watching over her from a distance was enough to satisfy him. Knowing she was being looked after made him feel a better about her being alone, even if she didn't know it.

However, Jane was a clever woman and was quick to question her surroundings since he had arrived at her window every night for the last couple nights. He had reveled and despised the games he had played, but had adored her every reaction right up until that night he heard her cry his name. That had changed Loki's entire perception of Jane and instead of running away from her; he could do nothing but return her to observe his little scientist. It wasn't just amusing anymore, it was something he truly enjoyed doing with her even if she didn't find it amusing. From the time he would knock little things over and wisp past her at random times of the day, even speaking faintly to her just to see what her reactions would be. She began smiling, crying, screaming, wondering, and even frightened at times; Loki wanted to witness every emotion she could express because he loved every second he spent being in her presence and couldn't even think to deny the growing feelings he was developing for Jane.

As Loki leaned against the wall, he began looking back at their past moments. The God knew he had probably overindulged a bit during his past visit:

It was that moment when Jane had gotten out of a hot shower and began getting dressed by her closet. She had almost seen the unveiled mischievous God that stood just a few feet behind her. The initial shock had captivated him then, with disbelief spreading over her face which left him feeling even more intrigued. Loki had cloaked himself from her sight as much as he could and had moved in closer to her – as close as possible - without touching her perfectly flawless and naked skin. Looking at her astonishing undressed body, Jane was looking more than enticing to him, and Loki had to implore himself to keep his hands from engaging all over her radiant skin. She stood in front of her mirror, and as she did, Loki leaned his head in and over the shallow of her neck, taking in the scent of her, and then letting go of a long and eager breath over her shoulder. Jane's smell was pungently sweet, which only made him ache for her more.

The feeling of such need had burned within him. He couldn't believe how much power she had over him, and he couldn't resist the temptation, and had tickled her delicate neck with the trace of his forefinger. Jane had felt it, too. Her body tensed with anticipation at the unexpected sensation, and shot a look through the reflection of the mirror, as if she was looking directly at Loki, even though his reflection wasn't there. When Loki saw her expression then, he saw that she was actually blushing, noticing that his touch had sent a heat tingling between her legs as she squeezed them together - almost as if she craved for any variety of physical contact. This sparked a sensation to arouse from within the Trickster. Was it because it was from him? Or was she thinking about someone else; Thor, perhaps? There were too many feelings stirring between the both of them. He had to find a way to end this painful addiction somehow and instantly backed away from her that evening, keeping himself from making any poor decisions that he would regret later. Shortly after, he left her there as she trembled with loneliness once more.

Jane began to get a little too suspicious of the tricks he had pulled on her especially from when she was on her date with Richard. Loki decided it was best to keep still this night, waiting in the shadows for the sun to peak through the window as a sign for his final departure. He watched her stir in her sleep as she did many times before, sweat beading from her forehead; another nightmare no doubt. It wasn't the first one he had witnessed, but this one seemed to build up more violently than the last time. Loki was unsure what could possibly be causing these terrors, and wished on Valhalla to find some way of helping her deal with this problem she suffered from. Jane looked as if she was dying; her chest heaving and her body shaking violently against the mattress. Loki didn't know what else to do but tread softly towards her. Blind instinct had struck him; he assured himself that Jane was far into her nightmare to notice it anyway. Tentatively, he took her hand in his without hesitation of his typical insecurities. He tried to be subtle at first but when she began to convulse, Loki began hushing her as he brought his other hand to caress the sides of her face, feeling eager to keep the nightmare from escalating any further. Her body was thrashing, and noises of distress pushed past her lips.

Suddenly, something didn't seem right to him. Jane's struggle kept building up, and began to look as if she was trapped underneath something weighty and looked as though she was being suffocated. Her arms fought off an invisible entity as if trying to push it off of her. Putting all of his doubts and fear of his feelings towards her aside, Loki started to feel frightened for her and couldn't help but reach out and grab her shoulders like he had when she had her last bad dream. Without concerning himself of the consequences, Loki had begun shaking her, and not caring at all about the risks of her knowing he was alive. He shook her over and over again, saying her name and demanding she awaken. She writhed and continued to resist, but Loki saw that she desperate to wake up from the horrors of her dream. He gave her one last violent shake, putting his entire weight against her, and nearly shouting her name.

"JANE!"

Jane felt pinned down, watching the behemoth struggle on top of her as the creature had done countless times before in her dreams over the last few weeks. She couldn't place his face, nor understood why he was tormenting her mind; why his skin (or what little skin she could comprehend) was exaggeratedly violet, but that didn't seem to matter much when he was constantly invading her visions. Each night he found different ways to torture her; different ways to kill her. She managed to wake up before he could finish her off, but this nightmare lingered much longer than usual, and had her locked in his grip as he started choking her to death. Jane had thought that this was it - the moment she would seize to exist.

All he was demanding from her was the Aether, but she would tell him time and time again that she didn't have it because it was gone and she didn't know where it was not even thinking about telling the violent stranger that Thor had taken it somewhere far out of reach and in the depths of the Universe. He didn't believe her; out of rage he would pursue his hunt for her, and each time more impatient and angrier than before. He seemed to want nothing more but to destroy her. She tried to concentrate on her life, attempting to hone in on her past and relive the best moments to drown out the feeling of losing her oxygen and consciousness. She tried to think about the galaxies, the realms, and her research that brought her pure joy, which then brought visions of Thor… but it quickly faded when a familiar voice called out for her.

Her memories drifted back—again; to the moment when Thor struck the Aether while she was on the ground and watched breathlessly, still in a daze from such a powerful force being taken from her. In an instant, she caught a glimpse of Loki sprinting towards her, colliding with her and forcing her to the ground. Full of immediate shock, she looked up at him, and his hands that were holding her down, gripping her waist tightly. Her heart had begun to pound out of control, and began shivering with nervousness. Loki's eyes were an intense shade of green, looming over her with such determination to make sure she was safe. Even with the understanding of their "fool proof" plan, his look confused her even after he had offered her up after dragging her across the desert between them and Maliketh.

Such a look had her unexpectedly feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time, not even with Thor: an instant connection. She denied it then, but looking back at it now had her feeling something different when he nearly sacrificed himself to save her. The moment Loki pushed her out of the way from the noxious swirling vortex that nearly had her killed. Witnessing his act had changed her entire perception of him, and to watch her savior die was more than she could bear. Jane just stood and watched, feeling ashamed that she could've prevented it. Jane fought out of her reverie, directing her attention back to the deadly grip her captor possessed around her throat, still hearing the distant voice shouting her name. She fought as much as she could until she couldn't any longer. Her struggling began to ease, and again she could almost hear Loki's voice call to her again.

Loki?

Her eyes widened with shock. His voice became clearer and louder the less she fought. Was Loki trying to save her from this predator? How could that be? She couldn't see him! Jane didn't want to die, and this assailant was doing way too good of a job at making sure she stayed exactly where she was. Jane couldn't take much more of this painful altercation with this creature.

Before the pain could escalate, Jane's visions were now in a dark void, where she stood alone in a very small illuminated space for only a moment until Loki's voice spoke her name from behind her. She turned and saw that The God had quickly stumbled out of the shadows. She winced as if she was being blinded by a bright light, trying to make out that Loki was truly there. Fear filled her expression as she stepped forward to meet him. He grabbed her by the shoulders, but couldn't feel his touch, yet he began to speak with haste.

"I've come to take you away from here," Loki voice sounded like an echo as he declared with desperation.

Jane looked relieved, but painfully eager to listen to the hope that this nightmare would end, "Loki, you're alive!" but she knew this wasn't true; this was a dream, of course he wasn't actually here. This was only a vision.

"You're stuck in this dream, I'm going to get you out; I promise you," He beckoned her to follow him, but she was reluctant to follow him.

"But there's nowhere to go Loki. There's nothing here but pain and darkness," Jane seemed less eager to leave and seemed to accept defeat, but Loki was much more obstinate.

"You must bare it just a little longer. I can help you through this Jane. You just have to trust me," Loki pierced a stare that sent her a jolt of inspiration to follow his word.

"I trust you," Jane agreed.

"Good, now just take my hand and follow me," The God of green and gold held out his hand, and she took it, but couldn't feel it. Yet, she knew it was there somehow in spirit, and thought that maybe this was Loki's ghost that came to save her one last time.

With every ounce of energy she could muster she pushed her way through the weight of the monster keeping her captive. Without warning she sprang up from her bed. Her thrust to sit up catapulted her into consciousness and rammed right into the head of another like a berserk goat. The contact was instantaneous and saw a dark familiar figure fly backwards off of her bed and onto the floor with little glimmers of gold and green flashing in her eyes. Shock rang through her brain which made her breath heavily along with the painful ache that soon followed, but she ignored it and shuffled across the bed to see who she had collided with.

And there he was, lying on the floor of her apartment flat on his back in the same position he had been when he was struck dead the first time. His eyes were closed and he looked lifeless.

"Oh God! I think I just killed Loki!...Again!" Jane said to herself out loud and in a panic grabbing at her hair.

Jane swiftly sprang from her bed and rushed over to the fallen Loki, astonished, and in much disbelief. Jane leaned over his sprawled out form on the floor that looked ready to get the chalk outline and studied him like a crime scene. Jane looked around the room and pinching herself to make sure she wasn't still dreaming. Her breath was fast paced, unable to gain her bearings, and not sure what she should do with the Loki who was passed out; maybe even dead on her carpet. His hair was dark and disheveled across the floor like tiny black rivers flowing through every thread, and his forehead was glowing with sweat, looking a bit swollen from where she nailed him. He was wearing his normal attire that she recognized the last time she had encountered him; all leather and metal. Loki was just as big as Thor was, but not in a brutish way, but much in the way of his height making him also the longest person she'd ever seen, even longer all stretched out on her floor. Taking a good look at his face, she noticed his nose looked a bit swollen and saw a bit of blood dripping down from one nostril.

Feeling ultimately guilty, Jane inched lower to get a better view of who she was damn sure was the real Loki; the same Loki who she watched die in the arms of his brother not just a few months ago; the same Loki who she finally started to guess was the one who had been haunting her every step in the last few days. She couldn't believe this; how could this be real? Jane's confusion made her head pound. Maybe she was seeing things after receiving the protrusion on her forehead that she had gotten from…the God lying on her floor. She reached out to touch him, and was about to poke Loki on the shoulder when he began to writhe back into consciousness. Jane startled back onto her feet with a gasp, backing away from him as if he was a bomb ready to explode. She heard a painful groaning noise escape his throat, watching him struggle to sit up and brining his hand up to touch his inflamed nose.

"I swear to God….or to you…I mean, I'm so sor—"Jane began to frantically apologize for what had just happened, but was harshly interrupted when Loki sent her an evil snarl.

"Shut your mouth mortal woman!" He yelled harshly towards her, wincing at the pain and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

Jane froze in place, unsure of what to even begin doing. Should she run? Not that there would be anywhere to run too, and he would surely flank her with one stride before she could even take the first step. Calling the police was out of the question. What would she even tell them; "Scotland Yard what is your emergency?", "Yeah there's this Demi-God in my apartment and I sort of hit him in the nose and he's bleeding and yelling at me, and I think I may be in danger!", Yeah that would not be the best course of action. She could go get him some ice? Yes! Get the God some Ice!

Jane kept quiet and ran to her kitchen, before Loki could get up on his feet and noticed she had even left. The moment he looked up she was standing behind him, holding a handful of ice wrapped in a t-shirt. He eyeballed her with a raised eyebrow, not sure of her intent she had with whatever it was she was holding. She held her hands out, offering him the ice like a child would; she was small enough to seem childish anyway. Loki shook his head with a huff and a puff, snatching the homemade ice-pack, and then held it to his nose. Normally magic would be of pertinent use to fix this injury, but his magic was needed to hold his Odin decoy back in Asgard. He would have to suffer the pain for now until he could think of something else he could do to fix it. He caught a glimpse of Jane just crossing her arms as if she was shivering from a winter's cold, and was wondering why she wasn't overreacting or acting out irrationally.

"What are you looking at?!" Loki snapped, but when he did his tone stung like a snake bite, which startled her and didn't seem to help the God's temper.

Should she answer? Jane didn't know what to do as she was entirely speechless and bewildered. Jane's fears got her thinking to herself, not really looking at Loki anymore, but just staring out into her own inner reveries; in a daze. All Loki could see was terror in her eyes, not sure if they were for him, and then saw that she was drifting back into her thoughts and memories of her previous nightmares not knowing she had remembered him promising to return her safely back to her reality where he now appeared. He turned to face his little scientist, but nothing about her moved an inch, for she was locked in place, and in shock. Loki moved towards her, setting the ice-pack down on the foot of her bed.

"Jane?" Loki's anger faded into genuine concern, yet she still didn't move, "JANE!"

Loki's raised voice had gotten her attention. She seemed to snap back into reality and looked straight up into his gaze. What in the world was Loki doing here? And why was he in her bedroom? It took her awhile to take in account that she was wearing nothing by her underwear. Jane looked down at herself and suddenly feeling ashamed. She sighed with frustration, and snagged the random sweat pants from her bed and modestly concealed herself from him even though he had seen far more than even she realized. Loki let out one of his quintessential grins while she pulled each pant leg on one by one. She hesitated a bit at first, but stepped closer toward him and trying to get another good look at his face to be truly sure he was physically in front of her. Loki had gone silent, allowing her to get close to him. He had seen plenty of Jane, and more than he was willing to confess; nightmares and all. He felt more than comfortable to have her near him; would even allow her to touch him if she felt the desire to do so. He saw how uncertain she was of his presence, watching her hands tremble. He had to calm his nerves a bit and straightened his stance, standing much higher; trying to appear regal, but less intimidating if that was even possible.

"It's alright Ms. Foster," His voice was oddly soothing and reassuring, despite his proper formalities, "I'm not here to harm you."

Jane's breathing slowed, but still undeniably unsure how he could be here in the flesh, even though she recognized his voice and the face to go with it almost immediately. She had never woken up from one of her nightmares into the face of a God before, let alone Loki who was supposed to be dead. Every nightmare she'd had since the altercation with Maliketh had forced her to awaken into lonesomeness, and now here was someone who was close by. She couldn't help but find relief in Loki's presence, suddenly feeling that she always knew he was there; all the games, the unanswered occurrences that happened sporadically in her apartment started to make a lot more sense now. The last three days of thinking about what had transpired briefly between her and Loki before, and how he had shielded her from the harm of Maliketh and the Aether. She remembered his expression, and how he nearly sacrificed himself to save her. Her memory shifted forward to that moment when she stepped out of the shower and that feeling she felt when she thought she was surely not alone, even though it appeared that she was, which made her instantly embarrassed and a bit angry, but still oddly hoped he hadn't been disappointed.

"Loki?" She finally looked up at the God who had woken her up from her deadliest night terror, only to see that it was in fact the God of Mischief. Her tone was still shaken, but now it was out of the shock that Loki was standing before her, in her apartment, and alive, "Loki, is that really you?" she asked in disbelief.

Jane's tone sounded bewildered, and he couldn't help but nod again as she involuntarily reached up and touched his face, looking directly into his emerald eyes. He nodded at her realization, looking a bit fearful himself. His jaw tightened at her delicate touch, but he said and did nothing, frozen in place. He just stood before her while he let her analyze him.

Before he could seek his own comfort in her touch and without any warning she gave Loki a nice hard slap across the face, reminiscent of their first encounter. This shot memories of his first introduction he had with Jane on that day he was let out of his prison cell, hiding his pain of losing his mother, and directing it towards their new objectives and being his usual cunning and boastful self. Loki knew how much it sent her face burning red like it did in Asgard, and so he sent the same charismatic grin her way again. Jane's eyebrows furrowed with irritation at this action, but still managed to have a heat rise within her cheeks. Instead of focusing his attention of the immense pain he was feeling in his face, Loki took it like the God he was and couldn't help but let out a menacing laugh, only making Jane feel ill at ease. He knew she would lash out eventually, as soon as she came to her senses, but didn't expect that she would assault him again. He couldn't help but be a bit more impressed with her unpredictability. She huffed with frustration at him, looking angrier than ever.

"Still possess a fine right hook I see," He spoke cunningly, sending her a devious look, "You do realize this only makes me like you more?" He asked rhetorically since he liked her because she was unpredictable, which was also unexpected. This caught his eye.

"I don't believe this. Why…what are you…that monster killed you?! How the hell are you still alive?!" Jane finally started to feel like her normal inquisitive self, starving for answers. Loki's gaze broke when she asked him this, rolling his eyes in the process. Where to even begin?

"It's a bit complicated," was all that left his mouth.

But Jane looked disappointed by his answer, knowing he was holding more than enough back, which seemed to aggravate her, "Complicated!? All this time you've been alive and I've been…." Jane started shouting at the God as he braced himself to take any punches she wanted to throw at him, but she paused mid-sentence, and the anger within her began to deepen.

Loki knew that Jane was feeling betrayed knowing he was alive, and he didn't honestly know how to talk to Jane about this encounter, or how to explain anything to her at all. Even in the beginning, he never did exchange many words with her, but he saw that she was in trouble and he reacted without thinking about the consequences. Somehow her well-being initiated his overprotective urges to defend her, but Jane was interpreting the happenstance differently.

Jane looked up at him and called him out, leaving Loki to soak in his faults, "I saw what that monster did to you; you died…and Thor…" Jane's assumptions were almost amusing. Loki always did find pleasure when watching others fall for his tricks, but this time he did not feel that way. He only felt guilty while she stared into his eyes with more hurt than relief. Jane broke her gaze and began to put two-and-two together then shot Loki a look that was like pouring salt over a wound. "Oh, Loki, how could you?"

Her tone reminded him of his mother's whenever he did something wrong; this parallel re-sparked the grief he felt for his mother's passing which began upsetting him. Jane dropped her gaze when she saw his expression turn to shameful ire and took herself across the room with impatient steps to the window. The two of them were silent for a moment while Jane stood by her window to gaze out of it blindly at the starry night sky, trying to figure out what to say or do. She couldn't lie to herself by feeling somewhat relieved that he was actually alive and safe, but still felt the pain within her gut which only made her feel a bit overwhelmed. The last thing she wanted to be was angry at Loki, remembering the dreams she had about losing him forever. Now he was here in her room and she didn't quite know how to react. All the pain she felt for his loss was all a lie. Now she knew how Thor must've felt when seeing his brother return back to life after the first time he was presumed dead.

She saw Loki turn towards her out of the corner of her eye. He looked saddened. She began feeling a bit sympathetic for the Trickster, knowing what all he had gone through between him and his Brother over the last couple years. Jane could read his expressions all too well as if she was learning a new language. She could see the pain in him as clear as day, knowing how much he had lost and all he had done because of it, whether it was within his right or not. Jane couldn't help the feelings she was having for him now. Thor used to rattle her brain constantly, but since his neglect and her numerous memories of Loki's death, her thoughts went to The God of Mischief repeatedly over the past few days and she couldn't help but not want their encounter to escalate into an argument or test his patience that would risk her safety.

"Look, I'm not going to keep asking you a million questions, or start judging you like most would, but I have to know why you're here. I'm also going to guess that Thor doesn't know that you're alive," Jane finally voiced, causing Loki to look over at her.

"No he does not, and I don't wish for him to," Loki replied scornfully, meeting Jane's eyes. "At least not yet," Jane said nothing and just kept her attention on him. "And I came here because I wanted to see you," he continued, and his answer seemed to trigger an emotion within Jane as he began to walk slowly towards her, "I wanted to make sure you were safe after that fiasco with Maliketh. Judging by that episode you just had, my guess is that you are not," Jane looked down the moment he stood before her, "And I'm guessing Thor hasn't come back to pay you a visit since?" Jane looked back up at him with a slow and agonizing shake of her head and suddenly allowing the rush of emotions to start surfacing over the true realization that Loki was alive after dealing so much pain in thinking he was; it was much to take in all at once. Loki let out a light but disappointed chuckle, letting the corner of his mouth curl into a crooked smile.

Before he knew it, Jane's tears began to flow from her eyes as she launched herself against him, latching her arms around his torso as she held on for dear life. Loki froze in shock not moving an inch, but heard her voice against him, feeling the warmth of her breath through his clothing, "I just can't believe it. You're here, and all this time I thought you were…It was all my fault," She began to cry. Loki couldn't see her face but he could feel her mouth trembling as she spoke, "I shouldn't have gone to see the anomaly. If I had just left it alone, then I wouldn't have lost y…..You and Thor wouldn't have lost your….." She couldn't handle saying the words, and Loki had been resisting the urge to comfort her for so long, and knew the pain she had been putting herself through over her losses. Now that she was actually seeking it and putting her careless trust in the God, she nearly scared the magic right out of him, but he needed to find his strength to be the fearless God she knew he was. His muscles relaxed and he rest a gentle hand against her crown.

"Well then I suppose I am thankful that I came when I did. That dream didn't look pleasant," he paused as he tilted her head up to observe her face which had made Jane shiver slightly, "And you look like hell..."

Jane huffed, "I'd like to see you go through weeks without sleep. No thanks to you," Jane cut in sharply as if pouting like a child, which was a good indication that Jane was starting to calm down off of her fragile and emotional state.

Loki didn't want to begin to explain to her about how much more superior Asgardians were, and how suffering from sleep deprivation wasn't really an issue for them unless you were cursed of course, and it seemed that Jane was, which brought his own compassion for Jane to surface.

"I can only imagine how taxing that must be for you," Loki leaned impossibly close to her, and invaded even more of Jane's personal space until they were but an intimate distance from one another. Jane tried her best to hide her discomfort - still feeling rather shocked that Loki was even in her presence - but Loki had felt and could feel her irritation and grief, "I don't suppose you would like to share your dream with me?" he asked as her eyes darted back up to him; her striking auburn eyes that had captivated him from the beginning, but she still looked afraid. Loki raised an eyebrow at her, "Jane?" He said gently, placing a hand on her cheek, her eyes never leaving his.

"I - I don't know what's wrong with me, Loki." Jane's expression was almost too frightened to bear or keep hidden away from him, or from anyone. Loki felt sympathetic but said nothing, "I-I've been seeing something…a creature that I cannot see clearly. It's been stalking me in my thoughts and memories and demanding something from me…."She stopped her explanation as she fought hard to explain to him what it was that she had envisioned, still not sure why she was even considering trusting him with her thoughts - much less her feelings, but Loki too was in her dream, and was the reason she had woken up from it. He had saved her; so many times.

She shook her head, not wanting to relive her nightmares to the God of Mischief, almost choking up by the fact that he had been the one to rescue her. Catching her breath, she felt Loki's hand squeeze her shoulders slightly to keep her distracted from her fears and to keep talking to him. She looked at the hands that rested on her shoulders, then back up at Loki, still wondering again why he was here – and how awkwardly comfortable she was becoming with it. She had never conversed with him at this much length before, but it felt as easy as breathing. The only real words she had ever exchanged with him were after she had struck him in the face the first time. The look he gave her afterwards was sly and charming, which took her by surprise. She remembered his words of admiration to Thor, but Jane only thought he was being contemptuous then. Loki being with her now only seemed to confirm it. Did he really admire her? Or was he after something else? Trusting Loki was a risk she wasn't sure she wanted to take, but the look he was giving her now almost had her melt to her knees. She didn't know how or why she found him so captivating, but he was, and after everything they had gone through together she wanted to believe that he was here out of genuine concern.

"What did he want?" Loki asked carefully, and that was the thing… He was genuinely concerned for her, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was up to something in case she possessed a power that he could possibly use to his own advantage. Sentiment would never stop Loki from recognizing a potential opportunity that could benefit him greatly; it was his nature after all.

"I-I don't remember," Jane lied and Loki smiled, and sighed with disbelief.

"Oh, come now Jane, you've been having these dreams for a while, no? Surely you must know what this 'monster' wanted," Loki coaxed it out of her. Jane seemed more at ease, and didn't notice Loki lean even closer; her personal space now completely eradicated.

But Jane quickly recollected his last statement. He knew about her bad dreams for a while? "So it was you the entire time?" She pushed herself away from him with hesitation, and no longer wanting his comfort, "All the tricks and the pranks; that was all you…"

Jane looked at Loki as if holding him accountable for everything, "Jane, listen to me," Loki tried to reason with her but she took another step away from him.

"No, You're the one who's been haunting me; tormenting my thoughts," Jane accused sharply.

"Yes, I have been playing tricks on you, but only because I saw you were troubled by grief. I only did it to try and help you, but I never once invaded your mind. I am not able to do that, contrary to what you might have heard from your mentor," Loki tried to sound convincing but Jane wasn't buying it.

"But I saw you in them," Jane admitted, "You were there…." What she began to say was the truth, but remembered that he had never been the one to hurt her in her dreams. He was always there to save her.

"I would never hurt you Jane, you have to believe me," The Trickster pleaded. It took Jane awhile to feel the desire to believe him, but somehow knew he was being honest and didn't mean her any harm.

"The Aether...he wanted the Aether," she answered after some time. Her voice was shaking with fear – she wondered what Loki might know - and looked up at him again with wide eyes, but he looked almost upset over her answer, "I told him I didn't have it! I told him it was no longer inside of me, and I didn't know where it was!" She began to cry again and desperate for someone to believe her – she felt so alone and exposed, "but he didn't believe me! He never believes me! Almost every night he's come to demand it from me; he tortures me…tries to kill me….he tried tonight, until you…."Her voice was broken with each passing phrase, trying to fight the memories again as she grasped the sides of her temples and struggling to keep herself calm. By this point she no longer worried about Loki anymore, as if instead being mesmerized by her own haunting thoughts.

"Jane," Loki spoke softly, and tried calming her by placing his hands on her shoulders again, feeling her body tremble like before.

She was so afraid of whoever was after her that she didn't feel safe even in Loki's presence, especially not in her sleep – and suddenly, this gave her some insight as to why she now felt so much more trusting towards the God so quickly. The time they last saw each other, he had protected her from near death, and here he was now, concerned for her. Whoever or whatever was after her in her sleep was far more terrifying than Loki ever had been, not that he ever was to her even after everything she had witnessed. He seemed far from a psychopathic mad man, and more like a hot tempered troubled one. Something about the monstrous creature in her dreams was far more deadly and much more unrelenting. Loki saw her pain, realizing that it wasn't just about Thor anymore like he had initially thought. With all her fatigue, she didn't have time to think about Thor, or even herself. Loki saw the tears fall from her eyes.

"Loki, I don't know what to do. He won't stop, and I can't take much more of it," she confessed while her bottom lip trembled, "It feels so real, and the pain… I-I cannot take much more of it…the things he's done to me…I just…sometimes I wish the Aether had taken my life, so that I wouldn't have to live like this," Jane couldn't control her shaking or her feelings of so much self-loathing.

Without warning, Loki unexpectedly grabbed Jane and pulled her against him, catching her breath as she felt his arms wrap around her. Loki wondered how this could make her feel better, even after knowing everything he had done to Earth and to Thor, but she had done this act on him before which seemed to ease her suffering slightly. Feeling his actions towards her, Jane now didn't want him to stop, nor did she want him to leave. So she allowed him to comfort her, and to satisfy her own desperate need for contact. This was the most sincere and affectionate interaction she's had in what seemed like ages, and the overwhelming tears wouldn't stop flowing out of her eyes. Loki allowed her to cry into him again, placing a gentle hand to her head, coaxing her, and resting his chin lightly against her head.

She quickly rested her hands against him as he clutched her firmly. Relief had finally replaced her frightened state, and as confused as Loki was that she wasn't resisting, he couldn't help but reciprocate her actions and held onto her as long as she wanted him to. To finally comfort her felt exhilarating and Loki had no intentions of letting her go. Jane felt so small in his arms that she just wanted to remain there for as long as she could; worried that if she let go he would leave her, which meant she would be alone again. Loneliness was becoming one of Jane's newest fears, and she couldn't help but hold onto the one person who came to her. Loki felt Jane give him a firm squeeze then, and felt her body tremble.

This wasn't exactly how he imagined his visit or his sudden revelation would go, and who knows whether or not Heimdall or Thor had witnessed this entire scene. But Loki shut out those worries and began moving his hands carelessly and gently made gliding strokes down the curves of Jane's back to console her stress, maybe make her feel something else entirely. He couldn't help but try like mad to keep him from having misguided thoughts. She was surprisingly warm in temperature; he could feel the heat of her even through the thick leather of his clothing. Loki's eyes lingered over her, Loki didn't know what else to say to her; all he wanted was to keep her in his clutches and keep her close to make her feel as safe and guarded as possible.

Surprisingly Loki felt her arms latched around his lean torso with another tight squeeze and were closing in tightly against him. She was so much shorter and fragile in comparison, Loki almost had to hunch forward while finally attempting to release his grasp and allow her some room to breathe, but she resisted, keeping herself locked on. Jane never had expected anyone, let alone Loki; the God of Mischief, to feel the need to show her compassion or care what had been happening to her in her sleep for the last few weeks. Even Thor had a hard time expressing his sympathies towards her whenever she expressed her worries unless she was literally in front of him screaming for help.

Thor was beautiful and had a way with words, but Loki was an entirely different story. He was physically sympathetic and was rather endearing for a malevolent God - a far cry from whom she had thought he was before. He was here with her posing no threats. She actually felt safe with him, as odd as it felt to realize. She simply didn't want him to leave, and so she continued to hold onto him as tight as she could. The last thing she wanted was to be alone, whether it was using him for her own benefit or not. Loki tried to release himself from her, but she wouldn't budge.

"Please Loki, don't leave," she found herself mouthing against his chest, a palpable plea in her voice, "I promise I won't say a word to anyone; S.H.I.E.L.D, Eric, Darcy, or even Thor. Just stay here for just a little while longer. I don't know what you want or why you're here, or what you're planning. I just don't want to be alone," Jane looked up at Loki with pleading eyes; the poor girl looked like a lost puppy.

Loki felt speechless and could only get lost in her glistening auburn orbs, making it almost impossible to refuse her. He would normally sneer at any moment of sentiment unless it was from his Mother, but even with Frigga he had been perceptive. Anyone else he would've snuffed out. Even her accusations of him having ulterior motives felt a bit insulting and condescending, but somehow it did not bother him like it normally would. Jane was turning him into something that was completely out of his character. Oh, how had it ever come to this?

"Stop looking at me like that," he suddenly heard himself snap; his tone much colder and unfeeling than he intended.

His old demons were resurfacing in a desperate attempt to keep his guard up; Loki was convinced that the universe no longer wanted him to be happy. Everything he'd ever held dear had been snatched away from him – thus, a part of him felt compelled to sour this before the anything could snatch it from him first. These feelings were so conflicting that the Trickster didn't even notice the apparent look of pain etched across his face as he looked down at her. He averted his eyes, dropping his hands from the sides of her arms. Jane could feel him slipping away from her – bringing up that wall that the world was so familiar with – and she couldn't let that happen. She took in a deep breath, and the god didn't notice that she had taken a grip on the lapels of his leather coat in her small shaking hands. She forcibly pulled him down and claimed his lips against hers.

Her kiss was more than desirable, and soft against his. Loki's entire body tensed from the initial shock of her actions. If he was being completely honest with himself, Jane initiated the very thing he had wanted to do the moment he laid eyes on her. Her mouth massaged his gingerly yet effortlessly. It only took him a moment to allow himself to ease into it, and reciprocated her needs, bringing his arms back around her frail body. He slid his hands down to the small of her back, returning her kiss. He moved in against her without much thought to what he was doing, becoming lost in this trance she had created over him and caused Jane to fall back against the wall behind her. The God deepened the kiss by parting her mouth with his, and lightly grazed the tip of his tongue to delicately test her awareness and see if she would respond, and she did without hesitation.

The moment continued for what felt like centuries, until finally they both needed air. It had become an unexpected and intimate moment between the two of them which caused Loki to tense up, breaking free from her mouth. The two of them looked at each other, both breathing heavily against one another. Loki looked deep into her brown orbs. Jane looked almost too hungry for him - a look he had never seen from her before and one that left him unusually unprepared. This look of hers only made him want her more, but he held back, slipping slowly away. She blinked several times, as if breaking from a spell. He let go of her slowly, taking a couple steps back, and the two said nothing - not that they needed to.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not sure what came over me," Jane stammered, placing a hand on her forehead out of self-frustration as she leaned back against the wall. Loki looked saddened by her reaction, interpreting her actions as ones of regret regarding what had just transpired between them, "I'm just thankful that you're safe," Her tone sounded disheartened, trying to avoid his attention, "I'd understand if you want to leave. I promise I won't say a word."

Jane tried to walk passed him as if feeling rejected, but he placed a hand in front to stop her, placing a grip at her waist. Jane only looked ahead blankly, as if she hadn't even noticed the Trickster's response. There was a moment's pause between them that seemed to linger for a hundred lifetimes. Loki saw her, and she was so beautiful and enchanting that he found himself wondering if she could make him happy… and for the first time in hundreds of years, Loki wanted to fight for his right to feel this way. In that moment, he realized that he didn't want to leave as much as she seemed to think. Loki pulled her in front of him, taking her hips in his hands and pinning her against the wall again.

"You asked me to stay… so I'll stay," Loki said softly against her lips. Jane, however, suddenly seemed skeptical, and not sure why he was growing so attached to her when she didn't deserve it, feeling a bit guilty for acting purely on impulse.

"Since when does the 'God of Mischief' ever listen to simple mortal like me? You want to conquer this planet, don't you? So why risk all that to be here? You never thought about what might happen if I called for Thor or Heimdal?" As if she really would have, but her tone was growing harsher now as she shot Loki a disapproving stare. This bothered him; her mood suddenly shifting, "I still don't understand why you're here or why you would want to. It doesn't make sense. You can't possibly care about me this much, you hardly know who I am," she insisted, doubting their moment as a simple fluke even though she didn't really know Thor all that well either if she were to argue her own statement.

Loki grabbed her by the arms with a firm, irritated grip, startling Jane a bit as he pushed her up against the wall, crushing her beneath his body weight. Loki couldn't help but begin to feel insulted. How dare she accuse him of falling for someone who compared herself to the rest of the lesser beings that walked this realm? Jane was certainly no fool; she was unique and a mind worth discovering. He hated how she would think a God like him would fall for a small-minded human. Jane was a true gift.

"Why can't you accept this, Jane? Are you not the least bit amused at how much you've charmed a God like me? Do you think that I would even bother saving you, or even listen to you if I didn't find you worthy?" His questions seemed rhetorical, but strong and full of purpose. Jane kept herself unobtrusive, looking down at her feet with shame, but Loki tilted her head up by her chin with his warm slender fingers, "That day when we first met, you were not afraid of me," he began with an amused chuckle. Jane looked embarrassed at the memory of her little uncontrolled outburst she took out on him, "I have to admit I was impressed," he continued, and Jane's face became bewildered at Loki's every word. Loki paused and took a deep breath before continuing, knowing full well that these were words he had never before uttered to another living soul let alone a mortal, "It was then when I knew you captured my heart, Jane Foster, whether I wanted to believe it then or not," he said sincerely. Jane's face turned as pale as a ghost; but Loki continued with his confessions, knowing that now that he'd started, he would have to bring them to completion, "But I am a selfish God Jane, and you belong to Thor," he continued with inconvenient honesty, and the truth was, a part of him was saying this simply to see how Jane would respond while feeling incredibly hypocritical. He remembered his words he exchanged with Thor before reaching his hidden passageway into the Bifrost and questioning Thor's feelings for her.

_"Say Goodbye…" Loki's words came out bluntly._

_"Not this day," Thor knew what his words were leading, given the stubborn lack of eye contact._

_"This day, the next, a hundred years is nothing. It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready. The only woman whose love you prized will be snatched from you." His argument were words of inconvenient truths then, not just for Thor, but in a way of convincing himself to refrain from wanting to get too close to Thor's the scientist. Loki had said them only to try and assure the meaning to their venture in rescuing Jane from the Aether within her._

_"And will that satisfy you?" Thor asked as if he was convinced that Loki found pleasure in Thor's pain, when in truth it did not._

_"Satisfaction is not in my nature," Loki replied. What was the use of trying to convince his older brother that he meant no harm to come to Jane? Even Loki had a difficult time letting go of this sudden curiosity he felt for Jane then, wondering how she could be so captivating to him. What was it about her anyway?_

The not-so-distant memory hit him like a pile of bricks. Loki looked at her with confusion. Would she agree with him? He wanted her to prove him wrong. He paused, easing his grip on her. She said nothing; she felt almost guilty that she hadn't been aware of these feelings that he was admitting for her. Jane was motionless and lost in her own thoughts, not knowing how to respond. Loki was so close she could feel his warmth against her skin, smelling the sweet musk of him. His scent alone was enough to hypnotize her. Jane reveled in his touch as she felt him begin to trace a thumb along her jawbone. Her silence was beginning to eat at him. "He still holds a place in your heart, doesn't he?" Loki asked slowly and quietly (too quietly). This broke her intoxicated state and she looked to him quizzically. "So now I must ask you this, my dear Jane…" he took a deep breath but tried to keep his face impassive, "Is there room in your heart to care for a God like me?"

This surprised Jane, leaving her almost speechless. She and Loki were beginning to seem all too similar for this to be real, but Jane had undoubtedly felt a connection with Loki when he shoved her out of the claws of death, which seemed to have made a permanent impression on her. Loki leaned in to meet her face, grazing their lips together but barely touching hers; he teased her and desired her. Jane found it almost impossible to believe how much her body reacted positively to the intimate contact he was now offering her, but her mind was repeatedly telling her no as much as she was starving for the touch. He watched her hungrily, and seemed to be enjoying this more than she was. This also surprised her. How on Earth had some puny galactic nerd like herself come to attract a God like Loki? This was Thor's "evil" brother, after all - so how was it that Jane was falling for him so badly all of the sudden? Was she that desperate? Confused? Was she harboring some deep-seeded mental need to co-dependently humor him? Was he casting some spell over her? He was a magician, too, right? Jane did not have the answers to the countless questions she was asking herself; all she knew was that she couldn't resist him much longer. She kept replaying their first kiss in her head… it was the first real, fond memory that she's had in a very long time since the nightmares began. The thought brought her a strange sense of relief. That's when it dawned on her, looking right into Loki's striking emerald eyes.

"I kissed you first," Jane said, and she almost sounded contemptuous, but Loki gave her a very wry grin which made her heart melt.

Jane began feeding into her impulses and his, as she spoke softly against Loki's lips– lips that were just inches from hers and so very tempting – and she was not sure exactly why she said something so out of character. She never said things like that. It surprised her as much as Loki and he took her response as a yes.

"Clever Girl," Loki agreed with self-gratification as the God of Mischief mused pointedly before pressing his mouth hungrily and firmly against Jane's once again, taking his hands and touching each side of her face.

Jane felt his touch tickle from her behind the ears with the tips of his fingers as he kissed her which weakened her knees. He felt her body nearly sink to the floor and quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, letting her pour her weight against him. He knew exactly where and how to engage her and how he wanted to. For Jane, it was as if he was reading her thoughts. There kiss began to build up the longer they held onto one another. Loki's grasp began feeling anxious, making Jane's chest tighten and ache with a heavy craving. As if it was involuntarily, Jane felt the Trickster's hands suddenly grab at her thighs, hoisting her up in midair so that she was level with him. An arousing heat radiated between the two of them as Loki held her up off the ground, not allowing his lips to part from hers, and now coiled around her neck to keep her from breaking away from his claim on her. Jane felt his silver tongue carefully exploring hers with a motion that seemed only too natural to him.

She weighed practically nothing, while he felt her fingers curl through the thick strands of his long and dark wavy hair. She couldn't explain the unbearable feelings she was having for Loki now, as if it was instantaneous. Jane was beginning to feel guilt-ridden about what this might do to Thor if he were to find out, but she couldn't deny that she had begun to block out her interests for him and to the rest of the world, in her efforts to hold onto their "barely-there" relationship. Jane had pretty much prepared herself for the inevitable end of it; she rationalized. But, she cared so much for Thor, had only desired his presence, but he had not returned as Loki had done. Now here was The God of Mischief; someone she never saw coming. She didn't think in the slightest that Loki would show up, quite literally out of nowhere - he was supposed to be dead. Now Jane suddenly found herself in his possessive embrace, feeling almost every part of him and right now, and all she wanted was more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to, again, thank you all so much for following my story! I'm having so much fun writing it. The encouragement means a lot and I'm reaching a point of the story where it might be awhile for the next Chapter, but I will do my best to post soon!
> 
> I have a friendly shout out to Mechanicalhyena for assisting me with some formatting issues. I apologize if some of the formatting feels a bit strenuous. I'm still learning how to use this site. Any other thoughts, concerns and comments are greatly welcome. I'm in the process of fixing this as soon as possible and hopefully the paragraphs will improve later on. Again, my bad.
> 
> Anywho, please continue to read if you fancy this story.
> 
> Thanks for everything!
> 
> ~TheChampion04


	6. Old Habits Die Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane fights back feelings for Loki so that she doesn't betray Thor. Loki can't help but fall back into his usual way of handling things.

Both Loki and Jane seemed lost in the moment as if time had no meaning; each of them were incapable of letting go of one another. Their minds were equally clouded; Jane especially. There was an instant where she didn't exactly know how or what had possessed her to engage on the villain with her own strength, and had somehow managed to roll him onto his back against the wall. The feeling of the God reciprocating her maneuvers gave her an adrenalin rush which made her smile at him willingly, for the scientist couldn't stop herself from feeling desperate for his affections and the relief of Loki's survival had sent her mind in such a catatonic state of shock that she no longer had control over the situation.

Yet, she found much pleasure in their exchange and was amazed at how well they seemed to mold together as if it were effortless. She couldn't deny that she had become almost instantaneously infatuated with the God of Mischief. However, there was an itch in the back of her subconscious that seemed to demand that she resist the urge to continue any further. Flashes of Thor and the romance they had shared together had begun to appear behind her vision, and a sudden lump in her chest began to grow with remorse. What Loki and Jane were doing was wrong. One would argue they were only kissing, but the passionate build up behind the kiss was enough to make it a mistake, at least that's what Jane was convincing herself to believe.

Jane hadn't a clue how their encounter escalated so quickly, still unsure how they managed to end up on her bed with him hovering above her and gliding his hands generously over her exposed skin as if he had never felt anything so remarkable in his life. But Jane knew this provocative behavior was all due to her lack of sleep, and her inability to think clearly. As marvelous as it was to finally feel another soul share her frantic needs, Jane was convinced that what they were doing had to end before it could go any further to a point where they both would regret it. Besides, Loki had lied to Thor, and having him in her presence wasn't a good idea to keep a secret for long. Would Asgard know of his return? If so, did Thor know? Would Heimdal see what was happening and snitch to The God of Thunder of what they were both doing right now? These questions started nagging inside her brain and nearly started giving her a head ache. The more Jane became aware of their situation, the more eager she had become to hesitate against his overly pleasing tactility.

The more Jane thought about the first God who stole her heart, the more she wanted to back away from the Second one. During Jane's current train of thought, Loki began peppering kisses along the hallow of her neck, now feeling his body rest gently against hers so that he wouldn't crush her, and maneuvering his hips into her which was excruciatingly pleasing to the mortal. She felt his hands make their way down her stomach causing a rippling sensation throughout her body as he began to tug at the waistband of her sweatpants, but Jane stopped him cold. Her hand grabbed the wrist that had started to toy with her clothing with the efforts to rid of them. She needed to stop him from touching her before it was too late.

The God politely stopped, "What's the matter?" Loki, feeling perplexed, asked softly against her ear with blunt disappointment, and sat up to see that Jane looked profoundly ashamed, but denied that he knew why she was resisting him.

"You know 'what's the matter'," She spoke as she gestured at them both, "This! This is the matter!"

Jane pushed Loki off of her, surprised that he didn't retaliate, and removed herself quickly from the bed, rushing to the opposite end of the room to her window, looking aimlessly around the room as if she had just committed a crime. Loki was left sitting on her bed on his knees, trying to understand what had just happened, attempting to catch up with time. Jane was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself from underneath her collar. The only words Loki could make out were, "What the hell am I doing?" and, "What if Thor saw what just happened?" Loki got up immediately when he began to overhear her distressed chattering. His patience with the entire event began to run thin to almost nothing. He stood in place for a moment, trying to get Jane's attention, but she was lost in her self-judgment. He ran both hands through the sides of his hair, taking in a deep breath to gain back his Godlike composure, sitting up straight and gathering his bearings, but couldn't help but think about their rather enticing altercation.

Loki's impatience began to formulate within his veins; so quick to want to stay and ravish Jane, and started having sinful feelings of victory for bedding his brother's woman, only to have it all fall apart in a matter of seconds. He sent Jane a piercing stare; showing every bit of his emotions to her; not having to say a word. Jane caught his gaze and froze in place. There was plenty to fear, sure, but Loki was never one to let fear stop him from taking what he wanted, and he wasn't about to lose again; not when all of this was offering him the sense of accomplishment he craved. He began walking slowly towards her, like a fierce prowling jungle cat; never letting his attention away from her. Jane began to back up as soon as he got intensely closer than she seemed to enjoy as much as she had just seconds ago. His look was different now, less captivating and much more arrogant with implication.

"You're frightened of me? Even after all that?" Loki asked pompously through his cold and icy lips.

"I-I'm not sure how I feel about you Loki," Jane's voice shook with confusion and suddenly feeling uncomfortable the closer he got as he backed her into a corner.

It was then she saw the more sinful side of Loki that she had only heard about, and witnessed what it had done to Eric after what had happened in New York. He had hurt her once before and nearly destroyed humanity's meaning of existence, and possibly her planet. This was the real Loki she was seeing, not the Loki she had fabricated in her dreams, or what she had tried seeing with her own eyes. How could she have become so blind and desperate for someone to touch her; to feel anything other than feeling sick with grief over his loss? Jane couldn't believe how much of a burden she had placed on herself. Lost in thought, Jane didn't notice Loki reach to touch her face, which made her flinch, but she didn't stop him from doing so for some strange reason; still smitten by his tenderness.

"You're trembling," Loki pointed out wryly.

"You have to leave," Jane's order was definite; leave it to Jane to try and deny what she was actually feeling. Loki did not look amused, or convinced, and seemed untouched by her ill attempts at having the upper hand.

"Do I?" He began forcing her against the wall even more than before, which became almost a habitual act between them, only this time he placed an arm above her against the wall, leaning into her with more intimidation than before, "I could force you, you know. I could make you want this. If you think you could stop me then you're more of a disappointment than I thought," He huffed, as he took strands of her hair between his fingers, bringing it to his nose, and taking a whiff of her aroma. He loved how she smelled. Jane was speechless at what he had just said and done, feeling almost terrible for letting it even get this far. Jane began cursing to herself silently; she should've known better.

"So that's it then? I tell you 'no' and your answer is to intimidate me?" Jane countered without warning which surprised Loki, making him back away slightly.

She couldn't allow him to feel he was in control. She understood how being dominant was Loki's strongest characteristic. To take that power away from him would essentially make him more vulnerable and possibly the only way to break through his defenses. Becoming aware of this fact, Jane had to be strong, even if it pained her to feel stuck in this predicament.

"Just a few moments ago you were begging for it; craving it. You cannot deny how badly you desire this. Can you not see how much I desire you? It would be easier to simply forget about my Brother, and simply succumb to it," Loki spit his first defensive strike with the mentioning of Thor as he said it with a devilish smirk, caressing the side of her face with the opposite side of his slender finger. Jane slapped it away, not at all amused by his charming advances, but he didn't seem to mind her diminutive acts of ferocity; in fact it only made him smirk with amusement.

"Even if I could somehow stop caring about Thor, he's still out there keeping an eye on me. I feel like I have big brother observing my every move, not to mention S.H.I.E.L.D breathing down my neck for my research, and when I think about that I feel dishonest," Jane began to explain hesitantly, but Loki listened and didn't interrupt waiting for her to continue and dropped his maniacal façade, "I am not afraid of you Loki, but I can't allow this to happen when Thor isn't aware of it," Loki kept silent, but not favorably convinced which seemed to irritate her as Jane shoved Loki to the side nearly making the God fall over, and walked away from him with anger and about ready to lose her nerve, "It's not fair you know? You made us all believe you were dead. I've been mourning your loss for days, and here you are now; taking advantage of that! What hurts the most is that all of you are watching me, but doing nothing while I'm here night after night suffering in silence!" Jane's tone raised several octaves as her true feelings pouring out into the open. Loki had known she was aware of his presence over the last few days whether she was admitting it or not, not seeing it necessary to deny her allegations, "Then you show up out of nowhere, pretending to be caring when you've been the one spying on me this entire time! Don't claim to care for me Loki, just so you can strike at me with venom the first chance you get!" Jane shouted as he took her last onslaught, and the two went silent for a moment to gather their thoughts.

It took her awhile to calm down, and as much as it stung to hear from Jane's mouth, Loki couldn't help but feel intrigued by her heartfelt outburst; almost reminded him of himself. He drifted his attention faintly when Jane spoke again, "In some ways I want Thor to see, ya'know?" This caught his attention right away, wondering what she meant by her words; he glanced towards her but she did not look back, "I kind of wish he could see us. Just so he could feel terrible for all he's put me through for the last couple years. Then there's the other side that wishes he didn't so that I don't hurt him. Even if I wasn't 'with' Thor, I still consider him a close friend, and I can't lie to him; I won't lie to him. I'm not like you."

And there it was, and just what he was waiting to hear. Loki's anger rose within his chest, wanting to lash out at Jane and lay his own hand against her face for being insubordinate. However, somehow her aching heart made him feel guilty for all he had done, but regardless of his wicked demeanor, he had always sympathized for her; he did care for her. Yet, he still hated hearing her distrust, taking it personal, and feeling ultimately guilt-ridden. A wave of anger took over his mind as he began to see red, slammed a fist into the wall with a force that frightened her; practically had his entire hand crash through the crushed hole in the wall.

"That's right, Jane. You're nothing like me, and you certainly cannot claim to think you know who I am! And unlike Thor I seem to be the only one here that's willing to offer you what you want. Is Thor here now? What has he done for you Jane? Was he the one that saved you when you faced Maliketh? Is he the one that took you out of your nightmares only to comfort you? Don't accuse me of not caring for you Jane; you have no idea how much I've been hating every second of it," His tone drifted from his usual harshness and into a more leveled one so that he didn't seem as threatening. Jane allowed Loki's words to seep through, and slowly ran another hand through her hair while the two of them argued, for the process of understanding the God was an exhausting one.

As much as she wanted to hate the Loki for what he had done, she couldn't help but remain sympathetic, and understood the meaning behind his actions from his past. It was then when she remembered the brief moment she shared when she spoke privately with the Goddess Frigga the day Jane spent time on Asgard with Thor. She remembered walking with her through the grand foyers of the Palace which took Jane's breath away at the illuminating structure. During that time, Jane learned much about their family in just the short amount of time that Jane only wished had lasted longer. Frigga was memorizing and Jane had never met anyone quite like her. Not being welcome by Thor's father made meeting her almost nerve-racking, but the Goddess was quick to make her feel at home, and welcomed Thor's companion with open arms.

It had been awhile since Jane had ever felt more at home, as if she was instantly apart of a family that had lasted for centuries. Jane felt fortunate to have shared quality time with Frigga, and remembered asking the Goddess about Loki with more curiosity than she was willing to admit and was rather astounded when she heard what she had to say about the so-called "Evil Trickster". The topic had come up several times since Jane's arrival and was overly curious to hear her side, seeing as how she was their mother. Mother's always seemed to have a keen sense about their children, even though Jane barely knew that Frigga wasn't his mother by blood, but even Jane knew that blood wasn't as thick as people wanted to believe.

"Thor had mentioned that Loki was imprisoned for his crimes on Earth," Jane had asked curiously.

She remembered getting the most loving of smiles and was so naturally at peace with her surroundings despite the family feud, "Loki is a very trouble young man. And I cannot begin to say anything on his behalf that could forgive or make up for the amount of loss he had caused you and your friends."

Frigga sounded more than apologetic, and Jane could feel the motherly pain stirring deep within her heart. Jane wanted to place a hand on the Goddess's shoulder, but felt unworthy, but she could sense how much she loved her sons, and wondered if Loki was merely throwing a tantrum in their eyes.

"Please….Am I supposed to call you 'Your Majesty'?" Jane couldn't help but ask nervously.

Frigga laughed elegantly; positively glowing with beauty, "You can call me Frigga?" She reassured Jane by taking her hand in hers with genuine tenderness.

"Frigga, I don't want you to feel you have to apologize to me. I don't blame him," Jane spoke honestly, and Frigga gave her a curious look, "I mean I'm furious with him after what he has done, but I cannot judge him when I hardly know him. I only hear what I was told, and with all due respect Frigga, I understand there was bad blood involved and Loki had gone through more than his fair share of tragedy. I can't imagine how I would've reacted if I had gone through what he had to," Jane wasn't sure where this sudden apprehension was coming from, probably from becoming aware at how close Thor's family truly was and saw how much they all cared for each other, but she was not lying about her opinions of Loki; Jane truly believed that he wasn't as evil as Eric and the Media had made him out to be.

Jane remembered the look of warmth and gratitude on Frigga's face after hearing Jane's kind words, "You are an amazing young woman Jane. Thor is a very lucky man," Frigga complimented Jane's sentiments which made the scientist blush, but Frigga had more to say, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish Loki would've gotten to you sooner, he could've used someone as compassionate as you to help guide him through this difficult path, but that's a silly thought," Frigga bowed her head in sorrow for her lost boy that she favored greatly; unable to hide her worries.

Jane was more than flattered that such a gorgeous Goddess would think so highly of her. Now Jane was the one who took Frigga's hand and gave Thor's mother the most endearing of smiles, "I would've been honored. In fact I wouldn't actually mind meeting him someday; of course I can't promise it will be a pleasant beginning since I promised myself I'd punch him in the face if I ever had the chance of meeting him," Jane felt comfortable enough to tease with a hint of honesty, which seemed to rouse a timid laugh from the Goddess.

"And you are well within your right my dear," Frigga acquiesced, patting Jane on her hand as the two of them continued to spend the rest of the afternoon talking.

Jane fought back to draw her attention back on Loki who now stood before her. She never predicted she would actually succumb to feeling anything for the God. Replaying his mother's words in her head only made her feel that much confused, as if this was all predestined. She wanted to care about Loki, and in all honesty Jane did, and more than she was clearly incapable of handling on her own. The thought of him dead had nearly destroyed her, and yet him being alive and coming to her and claiming he cares just as much for her had Jane in utter disbelief.

Thor was still out there somewhere, probably on his way now in attempts to rescue her. Then again, maybe he wasn't, but the fact was he was still not here and Jane promised to wait for him, and Jane was not one to break her promises. But this didn't stop Jane from wishing she hadn't had as much of a good conscience; how easy it was to just allow him to smother her with his warmth and soft caresses.

Get a grip Jane! Her mind switched back on and screamed at her to snap back into her senses.

She looked up at Loki with sympathetic eyes, and attempted to reason with him, "Loki I…" But Loki was far too deep in his own antagonism, and interrupted any of her attempts at reconciliation.

"Enough Jane, you made your point clear. I should never have come here," His tone sounded disillusioned, and almost hurt by the words they had exchanged which caught Jane off guard.

Jane was left speechless, unsure what to say to him, and attempted to step towards him to try and soften the blow. Loki took notice and backed away from her, no longer maintaining his subtleties. Loki had felt enormously rejected, and his patience was as thin as tissue paper, sending Jane his own look of discontent. But seeing her look so helpless made him regret his harsh words. He didn't wish to be so cross with Jane, but was finding himself upset with both her for not seeing how much of an impact she had on him, but more importantly Loki was infuriated with Thor. How could he not see what was happening to Jane; the sickness that overcame her from something that was invading her dreams? He had an idea of what was plaguing her mind, but he couldn't be sure without going further into her mind, unless she was willing to tell him more clearly. That's why his anger was being redirected at Jane for even considering Thor's feelings, knowing that he chose to abandon her instead of coming to help her. Loki could wring her neck if it wasn't for the deep feelings he was having for her. Jane was in a very difficult situation, and Loki wasn't quite sure what he could do to help her even if he wanted to. The God came to her to make sure she was out of harms way, only to discover that she was afflicted, without support, and was feeling purposefully abandoned by those around her.

Loki saw a tear fall from her face, unwilling to resist any longer from the heavy burden she was carrying. She didn't seem ashamed to do so in front of him, and fell back against the wall and let her head hang low with despondency as if feeling the pain of neglect all over again. As much as she wanted to think she wasn't like the Trickster, they had more in common than she wanted to believe. Loki knew in his heart that he could care for her, and heal her afflictions, and couldn't help but feel like this was why he wanted to see her in the first place. He heard her breath break and stutter with hopelessness. Without thinking Loki walked over to her and brought a gentle hand to her face. Jane shot a look up at Loki, her eyes flooded with tears.

"I think you'll come to find that we are more alike than you realize," Loki spoke softly as if he could read her thoughts, tracing his finger along her jawline, and moved a few strands of hair away from her face.

Jane didn't respond, not that she had any words to speak the way he was speaking to her with his velvety tone that poured through her senses like a fine wine. And the way he had been touching her was driving her mind wild with unwanted anticipation. Jane began to fall right back into his spell, because that seemed like the only reasonable explanation to why she let him touch her at all, and his spell was potent. Jane couldn't help but ease into his touch, closed her eyes, and allowed the God to feel her again.

His lips were softly upon hers once more, but they didn't possess the same intense passion like their last one. This felt more like a goodbye; soft, brief, and hesitant. Neither Jane nor Loki had intended this to happen and as much as Jane wanted to become unbound by her feelings for Thor, they still existed strongly within her heart and Loki knew it. He parted from her and lingered there for a moment, taking in the curves of her face as if studying her features so that he wouldn't be able to forget them. Loki knew the steps he needed to take that were needed to keep her from running from his affections and knew he had to leave her for now. Knowing he was alive, Loki knew Jane could now sleep easier. As for her other struggles, and as much as it pained him to have her continue to struggle with her inner demons, he needed to seek aid back on Asgard; find out what happened to the Aether and where Thor had sent it, for he was unaware of where they had taken the unfamiliar artifact.

Jane couldn't find the words and even if she could they wouldn't escape her. She could feel Loki slipping away from her, and as much as she was denying the pleasure of his presence, the thought of him leaving was starting to stir uncomfortable emotions inside her stomach which was making her feel sick. Even after all she had put herself through, and even after lashing out at him, she was prepared to be left alone again. This conflicted feeling was enough for Jane to want to simply escape, but knew that she couldn't. Loki could sense her sorrow, but knew he needed to let her go, but he gave himself a solemn vow to return to her the moment he could find a way to fix her.

"Then this is Goodbye Jane," Loki took her hand in his and gently pressed his lips against her skin, just where Thor had, only Loki lingered there for a lot longer than his Brother ever had.

His eyes shut tight at the mere thought of having to leave her again, and Jane could only gaze in bewilderment. She wanted so badly to fight her will to do right by Thor, and in a second of weakness she reached a hand to touch Loki's face, and the second his eyes opened to look at her one last time, he disappeared. The God of Mischief left Jane alone in the bitter silence of her apartment, and Jane collapsed to the floor in tears feeling more alone than she ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much feels in this one, sorry 'bout that! Time will heal I swear! Please don't give up on them yet!
> 
> Be on the lookout for the next big Chapter, I know this one is relatively smaller than my other ones, this was mainly the conclusion to Day 3. I'm gonna be taking a brief break from writing just for a bit to gain some more momentum since it was so hard to get Day 3 finished.
> 
> Thanks for the lovely reviews! Be back soon!
> 
> ~TheChampion04


	7. Just a Little too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki returns to Asgard and gets confronted by Heimdal, while Jane regrets pushing Loki away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone!
> 
> So sorry for such the long wait for the next installment. I had a lot of plot to consider and reconsider. There were plenty of ideas in my head to choose from, so it was taking me awhile to brainstorm, not to mention OTHER ideas I had for other fics I've started. I got my work cut out for me I guess. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this one! It was fun to write. Sorry this chapter is probably the shortest one I've done, but not to worry. I will blast on all four cylinders for the next wave.
> 
> Just FYI to any new viewers, I do not own Marvel or the any of the MCU characters. (sorry if I have forgotten to mention that from earlier chapters) Please enjoy!
> 
> TheChampion04

Standing watch inside the chamber to the golden Portal of the Asgardian Realm, Heimdal had caught a glimpse of a disturbance on Midgard. Much to his sudden sense of urgent concern, his face bore no signs of discontent or worry for Ms. Foster who he had sworn to look after at the request of Thor as a personal guardian. He hadn't seen what was causing the disruption, but she was restless, and the atmosphere around her seemed untamed by a force that had unsettled his mind. The Guardian was overly concerned and watchful as he could do nothing but keep a keener eye on her. She seemed to be in great peril towards the dark figure that had disrupted her perception, but there was another guarding presence around her that seemed eager to keep her safe from the danger that lurked there. He could not see who or what was protecting her, and neither did he know how anyone on Midgard could've kept her from such a malevolent force from doing her harm unless they were powerful enough to do so. He knew little about the Avengers who The God of Thunder had fought alongside, and Thor had left some time ago to Svartalfheim in search of answers to see what had actually happened to Maliketh which made Heimdal curious as to who was standing by Jane's bedside. This was a mystery to him and something he needed to address to Thor right away upon Odinson's return.

Suddenly a thought struck the Guardian as he tried with all of his efforts to ponder; wondering if what he was insinuating could be true. Could the entity in Jane's room be someone else he knew; someone he knew he could not see? This brief realization had startled him, as he mouthed the Trickster's name.

"Loki."

\------------------------------------------------

The morning was bleak, and Jane laid flat on her stomach, huddling deep beneath her blankets, using them as a makeshift cave, and not feeling the need to get out of it to welcome the day. She hadn't suffered any nightmares the night before only because she couldn't stop tossing and turning after Loki had left her. She was positive that the decision to end things with the Trickster was the right one, but her heart seemed to be arguing with her, kept nagging the back of her mind, and telling her she made the wrong choice.

"But how is that possible?" Jane asked herself repeatedly all evening.

Thor was the one who had captivated her from the very beginning, and there was no doubt that they had shared a close bond, and Jane couldn't help but feel that maybe their connection was destined, as if some unknown power in the Universe had brought them together. He was perfect, and everything she could ever describe as Godly—no pun intended, and he was everything she could have ever wanted in a companion, or someone she could picture remaining in her life for a very long time. That was until another God had stumbled into her life when she began to question her relationship with The God of Thunder, wondering if she was wrong to have assumed such things about the evil brother she was supposed to despise and fear. Jane couldn't stop asking herself all these questions and had about enough of the endless pondering. Nothing seemed to matter anyway now that Loki was out of the picture. She was finding this all too redundant.

"Maybe I'm just not fit to be with any Asgardian. Hell, they're royalty for God's sakes!" Jane discouraged herself by shoving her face deep into her pillow, coiling into a fetal position, and trying to get some rest.

Just when Jane was starting to doze off, the sounds of keys rattled the lock to the front door, but Jane was falling too fast to notice. Finally the rustling of feet caught Jane's attention as she sprang from the bed. Hope had filled her chest with emotions as she couldn't help but wonder if Loki had come back after their little argument. Without a second thought or understanding of such irrational behavior, she said his name with excitement, and her feet took off into the hallway to greet the God with the warmest and most anxious of welcomes. She was prepared to tell him anything to call a truce and that she didn't mean what she said to him the night before. However, her anticipated smile was wiped clean when she saw Eric standing by the front door, taking his scarf off, and noticing Jane's disappointment. Confusion was written all over his face and forgot about how eager she was to see him.

"Sorry Jane, I'm not your God of Thunder, but it's nice to see you too," Eric badgered with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm sorry Eric," she apologized and ran a hand through her hair in frustration and finding it ridiculous that Eric hadn't suspected her disappointment was to an enemy that he had no problems thinking was dead. Jane dropped her head down feeling foolish, kicking herself for thinking that Loki had come back for her, and even more for thinking about Loki's return at all instead of Thor's which seemed to aggravate her.

"Christ Jane, you look like hell just paid you a visit," Ironically speaking, Eric had been looking out for Jane almost her entire life, enough to know that her much needed vacation was not well spent, "What happened to you?"

His concern for her was always genuine, but Jane didn't have the stomach to tell him the truth that the God that had tormented his mind had been alive the entire time and that he showed up to see her and that they both had nearly made the most regrettable mistake of sleeping together, which Jane was starting to wonder if deciding not to was the bigger one. Better that Eric didn't know, so she lied, "I had bad shrimp last night."

Eric gave her a sympathetic smirk and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Well, maybe you should go back to bed and get some rest," Jane couldn't help but allow her eyes to water, which Eric saw in an instant, "Hey, are you sure you're okay; I mean, aside from the stomach thing?" He asked.

"I'm just happy to see you?" She smiled and gave her mentor the most massive of hugs.

Eric couldn't help return Jane's embrace, unable to remember the last time she had given him one, yet he was still unconvinced that her condition was because of some spoiled shellfish. Something else was bothering her, but Eric was practically her father, and he knew his protégé well enough not to push the matter any further. Time would allow her to open up eventually, and he figured she was only killing herself by waiting for Thor to show up. It was moments seeing her like this when he wished Jane was still that same excitable child he used to know, who played with astrology kits when she was three years old, and wished she hadn't gotten involved with the Norse God in the first place. He was the son of Odin; it seemed almost impossible that the two of them had gotten as close as they had, or could even maintain any sort of "long distance" relationship; and that was understating things drastically. Eric wanted to punch himself for thinking their companionship wasn't worth the fight, but it was difficult for Eric to have to witness Jane suffer from being so far away from him after everything that had happened to her. She was fortunate she had him and Darcy to turn to.

Jane let go of Eric, wiped the tears from her eyes, and saw as her mentor was eager to figure out what was truly troubling her. She couldn't even begin to explain her nightmares of being tortured by some ornately dressed purple humanoid creature. She had no idea who it was or why she kept seeing the figure looming over her as he beleaguered her dreams. Loki had been the only one who seemed to have had any insight, but before she could hear him out she pushed him away; losing all hope in finding the cause to her insanity. Jane felt incredibly helpless, unable to explain to Eric all that had been happening to her; that Loki was definitely not dead, and had nearly confessed feelings for her that were completely out of left field. She couldn't comprehend the reasons behind the God's feelings, but she was the last to deny that she didn't harbor similar affections in return, especially after all he had done for her that Eric was unaware of. Even if Jane were to tell Eric all that had happened between them, would he believe her, or would he find excuses to make them more of Loki's hidden agendas? In order to keep herself sane for the time being, she looked at Eric with a reassuring grin.

"You're probably right; I think I just need more rest," Jane complied.

"You do that. I'm just here to set a few things down; I need to head downtown to my office to get some business in order. S.H.I.E.L.D has requested you to head back to America as soon as possible, but I won't trouble you with all that right now," Eric assured.

"Sounds fun," She said sarcastically seeing as how much she loathed S.H.I.E.L.D, but flinched as if forgetting something, "By the way, where's Darcy? Did she come back with you?" Jane asked.

"I'm afraid not, but she is perfectly safe back in New York and helping Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner at the Avengers Tower, she gave me this letter to give to you," He fished out a tiny envelope from his hound's-tooth jacket he had hung on the coat rack, and then handed it to Jane, "You can read it whenever you feel like it."

"Thank you. Wow, Stark and Banner are reviewing my work; that's—that's actually quite fascinating and flattering," Jane's tone was almost regretful and took the note politely, but feeling a bit disappointed that Darcy had stayed behind. She kind of missed the annoying political science student, even though she had turned into more of a little sister/assistant than an intern. What she would give for Darcy's advice on her situation with Loki; she would know exactly what to do during a time like this.

"You'll be alright by yourself? Do you need me to pick up anything while I'm out?" Eric asked; beginning to get overprotective and paternal.

"No thank you Eric, I'll be fine, really," she turned him around, shoved him back towards the front door, and handed him back his jacket.

"Alright Jane, but if you change your mind, just text me," Eric left before he could really settle, not sure why Jane was so quick for him to head back out so soon, but paid it little mind and left.

Jane took a few deep breaths, not sure as to why she was so eager for him to leave, but somehow found herself slightly hoping Loki would show up any minute. However, after Eric had left, hours went by and Loki had yet to return to her.

Loki was relieved to find that no one on Asgard had figured out that he had been fooling everyone. The realm was at rest this night and fortunately the Allfather decoy had held up long enough for him to return after seeing Jane. Jane; the scientist who had suddenly invaded his heart and soul was left behind for their own good. He had convinced himself it was the only way of riding himself of his fascination towards her and the Trickster was certain he didn't need any more of these feelings in his life. Yet, her name was burned in his brain, and rattling his thoughts with the memories of their avid last encounter that neither of them had expected. The fact that she was still desperate for help was as tormenting as knowing he refused to help her. She forbade anything from happening, and Loki merely followed her command as if his desires meant nothing. She never judged him of his wrongdoings, but still negated any of his advances. It angered him to have felt so rejected by her, and was all too eager to leave her behind. Now, he felt empty; knowing all he had done for her and the time he spent trying to aid her suffering seemed to have been in vain. There were still her nightmares to consider; and something or someone was most definitely after her.

What was it that constantly martyred her mind? Loki had experience with such torment, but didn't want to begin to believe that something so vicious could want anything to do with a mortal like Jane Foster. But she wasn't as simple as that, was she? Jane seemed restless and weary; desperate to rid herself of the nightmares she suffered, and wanting so badly for someone to care for her and protect her. Loki made his attempts known, but to even associate himself with the mortal was a risk he was not yet willing to take; not after all he had lost with his of his own family.

Loki had once again assumed position on the throne where he sat in contemplation. The Trickster continued to pose as Odin in efforts to buy him more time to discern his next course of action. He thought about confronting Thor once more, but his brother had not yet returned from his inspections on Svartalfheim. As Loki continued his efforts on how to help Jane, Heimdal quickly appeared, and entered the throne room. The God of Mischief sat up regally before the Guardian of Asgard, not very much appreciating the sudden intrusion on his train of thought, but Loki knew it was necessary to keep his guard up on occasions such as these, not just for his sake anymore, but for Jane's. Again, this realization made him restless, but attempted to conceal his uncertainties.

"My apologies for intruding, Allfather," Heimdal greeted nonchalantly, and took quick strides towards the throne as if he was eager to address something.

"Nonsense Heimdal; seeing you outside your post typically indicates that something is of much importance. Please come forward," Loki's act was flawless, but Heimdal hadn't bought into it and hid it well beneath his uncompromising façade.

"I've come to address a disturbance," Loki didn't seem struck by shock, and allowed Heimdal to continue, "It concerns Ms. Foster."

Heimdal's mentioning of his little scientist struck a chord which grabbed the Trickster's full attention, and probably more than he intended, for the Guardian tilted his head slightly in miniscule suspicion; knowing the Allfather would not have reacted in such a way. Loki's nerves began to reverberate with anxiety, hoping none of his insecurities was projecting through his camouflage. The imposter leaned to one side, trying with all his efforts to not seem distressed over Jane on the surface. Heimdal almost wanted to grin with satisfaction of seeing the Trickster for the first time it seemed. He didn't have to see Loki with his eyes, for all he had to do was be aware out of instinct. Now they both were caught in a duel to see who could out-bluff the other; to the victor go the spoils, but someone needed to provide Jane with the help she needed whether it be from Loki, Thor, the Allfather or anyone else equally as capable.

"Shouldn't you postpone your concerns until Thor's return from Svartalfheim?" The Trickster insinuated from behind Odin's face.

"I have seen Thor, for he is still investigating on Svartalfheim, and has taken Lady Sif and the Warriors along with him, which only tells me he has yet to find any remnants of Maliketh. He and I are not convinced that he is as truly dead like we had originally thought," Heimdal placed an emphasis on the word "dead", but the true insinuation had passed over Loki's head. Heimdal was surprised the Trickster hadn't seen right through the vague accusation, and watched as the so-called Allfather looked away in deep thought which gave Heimdal the window of opportunity to call him out, "And neither are you; God of Mischief," his tone was conniving and slightly mocking which was so out of character for the Watchmen that even Heimdal seemed unexpectedly impressed with himself. The accusation was bold and an act of treason had he been wrong, but the look on the Allfather's face was truly the indication that Loki was the one hiding behind the Odin mask.

Loki always found it amusing when anyone could discover when he was being deceiving. Heimdal was the all-seeing of Asgard, the only other Asgardian to see through his tricks was his Mother, and Loki suddenly looked sullen from the thought of Frigga. He shot Heimdal a look of fiendish glee at first, letting out a convincing cackle, but then turned to his all too familiar harshness. Loki was rigid, ready to attack to defend himself, and preparing for the worst. But Heimdal hadn't moved in on him, nor did he try to intervene with threats. Instead, the Guardian stood intimidatingly severe and Loki became unsettled at what Heimdal intended to do with his new discovery.

"You really ought to find a new trick; this act of yours is getting rather old, wouldn't you agree?" Heimdal mocked.

His cover was blown, and Loki felt comfortable enough to finally materialize into his true shape, revealing his lustrous armor of gold and green, "I suppose wearing Odin as a costume is no longer necessary. So tell me Heimdal; how did you find out?"

Heimdal grimaced at the Trickster, "It wasn't that difficult. I've been keeping my eye on Jane for quite some time, and once I saw something had been in her presence that I couldn't actually see at all, naturally that led me to believe that it was you," He motioned to Loki as if presenting him to observers.

Heimdal still had yet to engage in his arrest, and Loki couldn't help but find his behavior peculiar. Why wasn't he shouting for his apprehension or attacking him? Loki was not convinced by the unpredictable behavior Heimdal was projecting, and needed to keep his guard up, "My reputation precedes me; inconveniently enough."

Heimdal looked Loki over, knowing something was definitely wrong, but the problem wasn't with the trickster; it was with Jane. It was the uncertainty in the villain's eyes that led him to question his integrity and his intentions, and clearly he was after Jane. Yet, Loki revealing himself to him meant something was surly wrong; he wouldn't have done so if he didn't have a purpose for it, Heimdal knew Loki well enough to decode his usual patterns. Heimdal had little options, and couldn't simply play the narc. He needed to be tactful, and Thor needed to be notified when the time was right. For now, he needed to let Loki know he could trust in the Asgardian Keeper.

"Ms. Foster is in need of help; she's in trouble Loki," Heimdal wanted to skip the reluctance of feeding into Loki's ego. He was the only God in Asgard who could help her even if it was an enormous risk. Especially if it was something or someone much darker than Loki could ever be.

Loki's smirk fell, knowing Heimdal was right in his assumptions. Something was coming after Jane, and his feelings for her wanted to stay, but his fears of someone actually caring for him back, which Jane had the potential to give to him, along with the hatred for the sentimental, was holding him back.

"I cannot," He turned with and angry smugness that Heimdal immediately disengaged him.

"You've been guarding her for nearly a week now Loki. You've gone and come back more times than is needed for me to know what that means…you care about her. Since she came to Asgard you saw what her spirit does to everyone around her: to Thor, to the Allfather, especially what it had done for Frigga…" Loki looked back at Heimdal sharply, hating that he mentioned his mother at all, but didn't interject, "She inspires you to be more than yourself. I can sense that about you; which is why I'm standing here telling you to go back, before it's too late."

Loki straightened his posture and he looked defeated by Heimdal's speech, but knew in his heart he was right. He looked over at Heimdal with a suspicious grin which unnerved Heimdal slightly, but he waited to hear the God's response, "Tell father not to wait up."

Before Heimdal could say or do anything, Loki was quick to disguise himself as Heimdal and took off in a sprint, shoving Odin's spear at the Asgardian Keeper that even Heimdal couldn't help but snicker at; not caring or paying much attention to the fact that he now wore him as a costume. He knew allowing Loki to leave to go to Jane was slightly wrong, but not if it meant the safety of the Nine Realms; that was his duty as a Keeper. Any animosity to come between the brothers had always been competitive, but he knew Loki meant Jane no harm, and that was enough to convince himself to allow Loki to go to her.

\------------------------------------------------

Figures that she'd go right back to where she started. Jane paced her apartment in grief after another bad dream and the constant thoughts of her last encounter with Loki. Wishing he could be here to coax her back to sleep whether she was aware of it or not. That thought immediately snapped her head up and made her want to smack herself across the face. She let out a long exasperated sigh. She needed some fresh air. Being cooped up in her confined apartment was turning her into a recluse. How Loki saw her as anyone worthy of affection after seeing her this way was beyond her understanding, but he seemed so taken by her. He was willing to do anything, and that had made Jane impossibly confused. Maybe he pitied her, or maybe he saw passed her flaws, and saw something else?

Thor was always the God that made her swoon, but now Loki was all she could think about. How was that even possible? Sure, the God was incredibly fascinating and magnetic in his own unique way. Not as strong as his thunderous brother, but had a charm all of his own, and their chemistry was instantaneous, and both were the type that quenched for knowledge. Somehow she felt they were both more compatible, and he was eager to please her and protect her from anything. She overlooked his eagerness to be there for her the last time, and she couldn't hate him, almost regretting letting him go. She couldn't for the life of her comprehend why she was so adamant about keeping her moral fiber in constant check. The thought of him touching her again fervently was turning into a quick addiction, and came to the realization that she never had that much sense of wanton yearning for Thor. Sure she was attracted to the God of Thunder, but Thor had never engaged her that way; he always took things only relatively slow with her.

Not that she minded much; the God of Thunder could definitely kiss her, but she had to admit that the thought crossed her mind that the kisses were merely nothing more. Thor was tender, but never ravenous like Loki; and she responded only too well to the trickster's hands. It was then she no longer saw Loki as the villain; far from it in fact. He had been misunderstood, that's all; or at least that's what Jane kept telling herself. She wanted nothing more than for him to come back for her, and that thought frightened her.

Jane took in a deep breath and straightened up to ease her anxiety over the situation. She quickly collected herself and grabbed her coat from the stand on the wall, and left the apartment. Maybe a nice long walk would do her some good. She made it outside and saw that the typical London fog was not as dense as it had been the last time she took a long stroll through the thoroughfares. But it was just as cold, and she didn't quite bundle up as much as she should have. A scarf would have been nice, along with some gloves. Jane shoved her hands in her coat pockets as she walked down the block and to the park watching the icy cold breath cloud in front of her.

She took herself out onto the Cricket green; the only place nearby where she could get any glimpse of the stars. London was nothing like New Mexico where you could see the starry sky for miles and admire the grandeur of it. Most nights, and with the right telescope, she could see everything; planets, meteors, even the mystic river of the Milky Way. Jane suddenly felt homesick, wanting so much to grab her rickety old lawn chair and take it to the roof of her lab and sit for hours just staring up and thinking about what was out there. London was loud, busy, cold, and Jane found herself feeling displaced. She wanted to be out there in that open universe; to be in space. She wanted to chart the stars that she knew were out there for the taking, full of more planets and people to see, with or without we an Asgardian Prince to take her there.

The moment her thoughts drifted into space, a rumbling noise began to grow from beneath the ground and reverberated throughout her entire body. Had she been standing it would have knocked her off her feet. Jane almost thought it was an earthquake, but nothing shook in the distance. Jane quickly got on her feet, but struggled with her balance by the massive vibrations from beneath her feet. Fear grew within her gut, when a large flying object had breached low and hovered above her from the sky. A blinding beam of light struck down onto her, and she couldn't help but shield her eyes from it.

She was frozen in amazement as what looked to be a foreign vessel drifted down, and a hatch had opened beneath the unknown ship. She wanted to run, but she was stunned still and unable to move any part of her body. With no knowledge of what was happening, there was no more time to turn tail when she saw two strange figures appeared out of the light; one looked like some sort of small animal with two pointy ears and a bushy tale that was standing equipped next to some enormous creature that she couldn't make out.

"That's it! That's the girl Starlord told us about!" The small creature called out with an attitude as if he came straight from Brooklyn, and he pointed right at her, and could see sharp little fangs gleam against the light of the ship as he spoke, "Hey! Don't look at me, let's go get what we came here for!" He directed the enormous wood-like being towards her.

The larger thing next to the animal ran towards Jane, which made her finally aware of her footing and began running away from them. From what little she could see it was as if a large humanoid tree was chasing her, roots protruded from all areas, but had the body of a large man. She heard the little guy curse at her for running away over the Man-tree's heavy stomping. She could hear the pitter patter of smaller feet start to move in on her as well. Jane was more than frightened, and wondered if her dream had ever ended. Being chased down by a couple of alien oddities was not what Jane thought would help her get to sleep. If she were even awake. Her heart pounded with fear as she was being pursued.

"I got her!" The animal was evasive, grabbed her by the hem of her coat, and yanked her back so forcefully that she slammed back against the tree man.

She let go of a loud oomph as she hit against the hard surface of the creature behind her. Jane's breath escaped as she was suddenly hoisted over the walking tree's shoulders and trying hard to not struggle, but she was uncontrollably panicking. She couldn't even hear herself scream in alarm, and started kicking at her abductors to let her go. Then they suddenly stopped, and she finally saw in full view the small one down below stand underneath her, holding some sort of canister in one hand. He looked like a Raccoon! Standing on its hind legs and wore a boldly colored jumpsuit and held a reasonably sized gun she didn't recognize as any handheld weapon she had ever seen before. She was stunned for a moment; taking in the unusual sight.

"This will make you stop your damn whinin'," The Raccoon complained and sprayed a mist of some blue mist directly in her face.

Jane was unsure what the Raccoon alien had just spritzed in her face, but it instantly made her feel incredibly heavy. She felt her eyelids begin to fall, as the last thing she saw before she went unconscious, was them carrying her back to their ship.


	8. Kidnapping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane gets kidnapped and wakes up to an interesting crew of misfits, and Loki's determined to rescue her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked my little surprise! I have to say I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Surprised that it didn't take me a century to finish.
> 
> PS: I do not own Marvel Studios or their characters.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> TheChampion04

Loki managed to return to Midgard quite efficiently which didn't take him as long as he had expected. His makeshift Bifrost had dropped him off right near Jane’s complex and he was quick to enter through the window of her bedroom that was always open. _"So unsafe"_ he thought to himself, _"Anyone could just come in and take her”._ Ironically, when he entered her room, it was quite; too quiet. Her bed was empty and unmade which made his heart begin to skip a few beats when he searched the apartment for her. Jane was nowhere to be found even though everything seemed to be in the right place, for there were no signs of foul play that the Prankster could sense, but when he glanced at her front door he noticed her coat was missing from the rack.  
  
Deductively, Loki assumed she went out, and he needed to find her before anyone else could. Heimdal had sensed that someone was coming for her, and tracking her location through her mind somehow; Loki could only guess who could do such a thing. The God of Mischief was quick to leave to go and find her. He tracked and followed her trail through the streets, picking up traces of her footsteps she left on the pavement when an unfamiliar low humming sound of an engine caught his attention.

He looked ahead and saw Jane standing alone out in the middle of a green field, and hovering directly above her was a large floating ship with its light shining directly at her. Startled, Loki ran towards her and yelled out her name, but she didn't turn to him. Suddenly he saw her start to run off to the side and there were two strange figures chasing after her. One of them was a little animal-like creature that was carrying a firearm, and the other was some tall lengthy monstrosity following close behind them. Jane looked frightened as they pursued her. Loki picked up his pace and ran as fast as he could before they could catch her. He worried that they were one of _his_ men, coming to capture the scientist that once possessed the Aether and use her for whatever they needed her for. Loki couldn’t let Thanos do to her what he did to him; what he made him do.

Loki then sprinted and nearly leapt forward with the help of magic to desperately try and get close enough to cut them off, but the two strangers were faster and snatched Jane up as easy as picking a leaf off the ground. The colossal monster hauled her over its shoulder as Loki managed to get close, but not close enough. The God watched as the smaller creature sprayed some chemical in Jane’s face which made her pass out almost instantly, and before Loki could finally reach them, they were already rising from the platform and into the ship with Jane in their possession. His body slammed against the hatch, and started banging on it with his fists; viciously yelling at them to open up and to let her go. But the ship began to rise out of his reach and had rotated abruptly. The inertia of his take off nearly knocked the God off his feet as he screamed for Jane, but watched the ship pierce upward through the sky. In an instant it vanished out of the atmosphere, leaving Loki alone on the green with a heavy breath and breaking a sweat.

Loki stood there in shock, motionless for a moment until he started looking around frantically at the field in a panic. He felt lost for the first time he had felt in a very long time, and loosing Jane like this was excruciating. She had been kidnapped right in front of him. How could he have allowed this to happen? Loki’s desperation settled in his stomach and knotted up with all the regret a God like him could feel, and knew it was only a matter of time before it was too late to chase her down. He had to find a way to track down the ship and go after her. He was _not_ going to fail her; not now. He needed Heimdal.

“Heimdal!” He called out to the sky as loud as the God could, caring little about what would happen, “They took her! We have to go after them! Please Heimdal, I must bring her back!”

With much self-deprecation, the trickster ran his hands through his hair, circling with agitated steps. A few minutes went by before a large glowing sigil developed in the ground below his feet. Loki buried his face in his palm in frustrated apprehension, while Heimdal transported him back to Asgard as quick as you could snap your finger.

* * *

 

There were muffled noises of a conversation happening above her that she was having difficulty comprehending. Jane’s brain managed to switch back on, but it was not allowing her to come back to being fully conscious just yet. She felt the chill of the oxygen encase around her while it felt more central than usual. It was apparent that she was no longer outside, but rather someplace enclosed and conditioned to a low temperature that was more tolerable than the London air, but still too cold to her liking. There was a plethora of smells in the room, a scent that was distracting her from the debate that was taking place above and around her. She could indicate the light floral aroma with a hint of cedar wood, mixed with grease and motor-oil. She could sense that she was currently lying on her back against the hard metal floor of the ship and feeling the many eyes observing her lifeless body. It was as if her head was spinning even though her eyes were closed, and her muscles could still not find movement. Voices were becoming more audible, however, and Jane listened intently.

“I told you guys to bring her on board, not run her down and snatch her up out of nowhere and freak her the _hell_ out! Now she’s gonna think we kidnapped her,” Said a new voice that sounded like a younger man who spoke perfect English; even sounded American.

“Listen, Quill! You told us to go get her, so we got her. How were we supposed to know she was gonna book it in the other direction? Chicks are unpredictable,” Said the familiar voice of the Raccoon she had heard only once before, and he sounded accused and angry.

“Oh, gee, I don’t know Rocket! Maybe getting suddenly chased down by a Raccoon hoisting a _GIANT LASER RIFLE_ and a large _PLANT MAN_ might have been an indication? I mean I could be wrong, but, oh wait. I’M NOT!” The young man had spoken overly sarcastic to his companions and you could almost feel his hand gestures expressed through his infuriated tone.

“I am _Groot_ ,” was the sound of a deep and forced out voice from almost directly above her.

“Yeah? That’s fantastic Groot, but she doesn’t know that,” The man by the name of Quill tried to sound sympathetic to the other captor, but not convinced that how they acted was necessary.

“If you wanted it done _your_ way hot shot, why didn’t you just go down and get her yourself? I mean, does it look like I wear a leash?” The creature named Rocket was the first thing that came into her vision as Jane’s eyelids began to pry themselves open.

Her vision was hazy, but she could barely focus; everything was in a haze.

“She’s waking up,” A female voice intruded on their conversation, and sounded uninterested in their argument as it came from far in another direction and completely out of nowhere; it was like music to Jane’s ears.

Jane was still struggling to open her eyes, but tried to find her own voice, but could only mutter a few groans. Yet, she could start to feel her fingers twitch.

“See! She’s fine!” she could hardly see the fuzzy creature speak with relief as he pointed at her.

“She looks awful,” The woman was now closer and aware of how tormented Jane must have looked from almost a week or two without sleep. Jane lost count at how many days exactly.

“I think she’s…beautiful,” Then there was another voice followed by exhausted sighs.

 _How many are there?_ Jane wondered to herself as she heard the last voice comment on her appearance, which was directly above her. He sounded older and much more at ease than the rest. Jane didn’t know how to feel about that compliment why she just laid there lifeless.

“Well, yes Drax, but she doesn’t look _healthy_ ,” The woman made her observation more comprehensible, but sounded equally concerned.

“Should I cook her something to eat?” The man named Drax asked generously.

Jane heard a snicker from the opposite side of him, “Ha! You don’t _cook_ ,” Rocket mocked.

“I can cook,” Drax argued.

“If you’re talkin’ about that augmented bowl of hot green slimy crap you made last time; that’s definitely _not_ cooking,” Rocket countered.

“I did say that it was an acquired taste,” Drax was confident in his more conventional skills.

“I am _Groot_ ,” Groot said his name again, which was very odd for Jane to hear.

“Thank you Groot,” Drax sounded chipper by Groot’s response as the tree thing grunted another time.

“Ok, whatever. We need to make sure things are less chaotic when she wakes up. I think it would be good if we ALL didn’t hover over her all at once?” Quill chimed in.

“We should take her to the infirmary. She’s got a very high temperature,” The woman’s hand felt Jane’s forehead which was cold to the touch, but nothing less than soft and delicate; her touch was almost motherly.

“It’s probably just a side-affect from what I gassed her with,” Rocket pointed out nonchalantly.

“You gassed her; with what?” Gamora asked Rocket with distress in her voice.

“Oh just a little xShade to calm her down; she’ll be fine!” Rocket shrugged carelessly.

“Rocket you can’t just _gas_ humans with chemicals they’ve never been exposed to, do you realize you could’ve given her permanent brain damage? Or worse; it could’ve killed her,” Gamora sounded surprisingly upset.

Rocket shrugged again, and scratched his head, “Well, I-I’m sure she’ll pull through I mean she _is_ Quill’s…”

“Rocket, shut your mouth for once in your life will ya?” Quill spat distasteful disappointment at Rocket, but quickly turned to Gamora and Drax, “Gamora; you and Drax take her down to the infirmary and get her checked out. Rocket; Groot, I expect you two to apologize when she wakes up,” Quill pointed at both the Raccoon and the thing they called Groot, and turned to leave and headed back to the cockpit.

Come to think of it, Jane did feel much warmer than normal. Maybe that explained why the place felt so cold to her. Her awareness was slowly coming back, when she felt two hands slide underneath her body and lifted her from the ground. The arms that held her were warm and massively strong; cradling her close and yet they were surprisingly gentle. She felt the heavy footsteps of the brute stride through the ship while the so-called Gamora followed. Jane’s eyes started to flutter open, and could faintly see an unclothed and broad muscular chest that her head rested against. It was covered in the most unusual red markings, so unique that Jane thought maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. Yet, it felt comfortable despite the awkwardness of it.

Jane let go of another groan and shifted in the arms of Drax, and he spoke softly for her to take it easy, as he finally placed her down on top of a soft sheet covered cot. The room now smelled of linens, needles, and medicines; much like the first lab she interned for when she studied micro biology in her first years as a science major. Those were simpler times. Meanwhile, Jane figured they had dropped her off at the infirmary just like Quill had ordered them to do.

Her head fell to one side as the feeling of a soft mattress was felt underneath her feet and fingers. She suddenly realized that this was feeling more real than she had thought, as the memories of being chased down started to flash in her mind. Although, something else had snuck into her memories, as the sound of Loki shouting her name began to fill her senses.

“Loki,” was Jane’s first word.

This granted her confused looks from both Drax and Gamora who she now could almost visualize, while her eyes began to focus. She tilted her head around the room, while the two were handing each other medical supplies and keeping an eye on her. But Jane was still not sure where she was or who these strange people were, regardless if they meant her no harm. Jane couldn’t stop hearing Loki’s voice in her head as he called for her desperately and she was unsure why. Was he there? Did he know that she had been kidnapped?

“Loki?!” Jane shot up from where she laid in an instant and looked around the room, trying to find someone who was clearly not in the room.

“Hey, shh…calm down. Don’t strain yourself; you have a fever,” Gamora hushed Jane. She came and grabbed her by the shoulders, but Jane was ignoring her completely.

Then Jane looked Gamora right in the eyes, and finally took in the woman’s striking features. Her skin was as green as the spring, with the darkest of hair that cascaded over her shoulders which faded into a vibrant magenta color that was incredibly unique. And she was built much like Natasha; strong, agile, and even a bit harsh from the sharp angles of her face.

But Jane shook her hypnotic stare off and into untrustworthy hesitation, “Where’s Loki?”

Gamora looked perplexed by her question, and shook her head hesitantly, “I’m sorry there’s no one here by that name.”

Jane’s eyes became slightly glossy by Gamora’s answer, “Who are you? And where am I?”

Gamora tried to speak softly to the scientist, “It’s alright; I know you must have a lot of questions. All I can tell you right now is that we are the Guardians of the Galaxy, and you are aboard the Star Ship Milano. We mean you no harm, Ms. Foster,” Jane looked even more confused and a bit scared that this strange alien woman knew her name. Nor did she know what any of those words meant, and remained hesitant, “My name is Gamora, and the big one over there is Drax. We are here to help you,” Gamora was at ease with her, and Jane finally heard the sincerity in the woman’s voice which brought her heartbeat down to a steady rhythm. Jane looked over at Drax who stood with his large arms at his sides, just watching her attentively, but he was unthreatening considering his intimidating physique. Jane quickly dropped her stare and glanced back at Gamora.

“How do you know my name?” Jane asked calmly, but equally as curious.

“That’ll have to wait until you speak with Quill. Until then we must fix this fever of yours, and get you to calm down a bit,” Jane shot her a look of suspicion, but was quiet, “And not that I had _ANYTHING_ to do with how you got here, I’m going to have to apologize for my two… _associates_. They’re both idiots and didn’t follow instructions, but I can assure you they did not mean to frighten you,” Gamora was being truthful, sounding almost embarrassed to have to say it, but Jane didn’t know any better and figured it was a good start to get off on the right foot.

It took Jane up to this point to realize she wasn’t in harm’s way, but she still had no idea why they had picked her up or what they wanted her for. What would Eric think when he returned to come get her; surly he would either panic or assume she was with Thor. And she was supposed to start packing for the States that night to catch the evening flight out, and on Tony Stark’s private jet no less. So much of her future was at stake that Jane pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in-between them; trying with as much effort to acknowledge her new surrounds and realize just how much of this was causing her more trouble than she’d prefer. What were they even flying in? And to where? Jane had no idea who any of these individuals were, regardless of Gamora’s light introductions. She heard shuffling from the other side of the room, hearing the big man go to grab something with the sounds of liquid being poured from a faucet, and then felt his footsteps come closer towards her. Something cold nudged her arm, and as Jane looked to see what it was, it was Drax holding out a cup of water, and offering her medication and a drink.

“Swallow them whole,” Drax instructed specifically as he handed her a couple of pills; dropping the capsules in her hand, “Then drink the water to help wash it down,” He motioned his line of sight with the cup of water he had handed her.

Jane gave a weak half smirk and did as instructed; trying her best to stay calm, but her mind kept drifting back to Loki. Where was he? Jane rubbed the center of her brow between two fingers, while Drax sat down on a stool next to her bedside.

“Drink it,” Drax spoke impatiently yet caring enough to keep a close watch, which made her look at him for a bit longer, and began to notice more of his features. She took in his form and saw that his markings seemed to cover every inch of him. He was much bigger than Thor, but smaller than Banner when he turned into the big green guy that most people were calling “The Hulk” these days, which was only becoming even more disappointing that she wasn’t going to be meeting him _or_ Stark, which had been the only upside to helping S.H.I.E.L.D with anything.

“Thank you,” She finally expressed her gratitude to Drax, who seemed pleased by it, and if she didn’t know any better, Jane would’ve thought he was acting coy, if that was something he was inclined to do.

“And you’re _G-Ganora_?” Jane struggled to say Gamora’s name properly, who smiled bashfully at her attempt.

“Gamora,” the emerald woman corrected as she grinned at Jane with endearment, and took her hand in hers, “It’s nice to meet you at last.”

At last? Jane was unsure what she meant or what was going on and something peculiar was for sure happening here. She raised her brow at Gamora, but tried to shove her assumptions and accusation in the back corners of her mind.

“Gamora,” Jane repeated her name so she would get used to saying it, for she had a sense she was going to see more of her in the future along with the rest of this odd looking crew of misfits. She looked over at Drax, “Drax; it’s nice to meet you both.”

Drax seemed lost in her eyes when she looked at him, but she didn’t particularly notice, and just sent him a kind smile, tipping her cup to him. Gamora felt her head again, and smiled; seeming confident that Jane was feeling better already.

“We best let you rest for a while before you talk to Quill. He’s anxious to meet you,” Gamora cupped her hands with eager excitement.

Quill? Who was this _Quill_ anyway, who also went by the name of Starlord? Jane heard the Raccoon say it only that one time before she was abducted, if that was even who he was referring to, before they snatched her up from Earth. Earth! Was Jane even on Earth anymore? Jane had a strong feeling that she wasn’t, judging by her company. And after spending time on other realms, Jane had a sense that somehow she just knew. Before Gamora and Drax could leave her, Jane called out to them.

“I-I’m in space aren’t I? I’m no longer on Earth?” Jane asked simply.

Gamora turned to her, sensing that Jane was ambivalent of her new surroundings and felt the need to reassure their new guest, “Welcome aboard Ms. Foster.”

* * *

 

Heimdal greeted Loki in haste as the God of Mischief was beamed back up to Asgard, after he had witnessed Jane’s abduction. Loki didn’t seem to notice Heimdal as he sauntered passed Heimdal with an overly determined look on his face. Heimdal was equally concerned for Jane’s safety, and disregarded any threat from Loki, and followed close behind him.

“Has Thor returned?” Loki asked firmly.

“I’m afraid not Loki,” Heimdal answered with unfortunate dissatisfaction.

“And Odin?” Loki was quick to assess his options.

“Still in Odin’s sleep,” Heimdal was aware that Loki was ambitious, and knew that look of his when Loki was motivated to get something done, “Do you intend to go after her?”

“Yes, but I need Gungnir,” Loki sounded absolute in his decision to retrieve the Allfather’s ultimate weapon, but Heimdal was resistant.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot allow you to take the Allfather’s spear,” Heimdal didn’t even want to know what Loki needed it for.

Loki turned abruptly to face the Golden Guardian, but was clearly not in an arguing mood, “I’m not asking,” Loki was defiant, but for Jane’s sake; Loki wasn’t thinking about anyone else.

“Loki,” Heimdal attempted to reason with the God, but Loki would hear none of it, and continued to head towards the Asgardian Palace.

“I’m not letting _him_ get to her,” Loki’s vague assumptions concerned the Guardian.

“I sensed no threat on Jane’s existence; she is safe Loki,” Heimdal finally voiced what he had been trying to tell him since the Trickster arrived.

“It could be a trap…and I intend to neutralize it,” Loki was convinced Jane was still in much trouble, and was unable to listen to reason. Heimdal was weary of the God’s predictable stubbornness.

Heimdal followed Loki to Odin’s Chambers, and watched him take Gungnir from off the rack as it resonated with the core power of the ancient Asgardian magic. Loki was certain taking the spear was a wise call, and having the Allfather’s magic at his disposal would make retrieving Jane that much easier.

“Think of it as the insurance to our survival and our return,” Loki tried to finally reassure Heimdal of his doubts; he knew the Guardian had no reason to trust him. He turned and saw Heimdal watch with the unwillingness to allow him to leave. The God grinned with less smugness than he normally did, but offered it as more of a gesture of encouragement, “You have to understand that I will do whatever is necessary in order to leave,” He began with his usual threats, but before Heimdal could counter it, Loki was already holding his hand to refuse the Guardian to speak, “but, _if_ you allow me to go after Jane, and help me locate that ship, I will return to Asgard and turn myself in. You can throw me back in prison, sentence me to death, torture me; I don’t really care. Either way; I’m going to find Jane and bring her back.”

Heimdal and Loki studied one another, with the Guardian trying to see past any lies Loki might be conjuring. But Loki had no time to waste, and needed to locate the ship. Heimdal let out a sigh of defeat and sent the Trickster a reliant nod, “Very well, but we must hurry to the Bifrost.”

The two came to a mutual understanding, and shook hands in truce. Heimdal allowed Loki the possession of Gungnir, and followed him back to the Bifrost. Once they reached it, the Keeper was quick to activate his all-seeing analysis of the realms, trying to pinpoint Jane’s location. It took him quite some time to figure out where the ship had jumped to, concentrating and being as thorough as he could to find her. Loki stood ready to launch himself the minute Heimdal could detect Jane’s coordinates. The entire gateway began spinning, and Heimdal was looking more than determined to help The God of Mischief.

Without delay, Heimdal locked onto Jane’s location, and Loki was fast on his feet, but the Guardian called out to him, “Be aware Loki that a bit of time will have passed since she’s been in the void; possibly a week at the most. Whatever has happened to her, or whoever she’s with; be cautious,” He warned.

Loki gripped Gungnir tight and decided it was best to conceal it and only use it if it was absolutely necessary. Heimdal saw this and sent Loki an accepting nod, and motioned Loki to get ready, “I’m going to get you on the ship as close as I am able, you’ll have to move as fast as you can; I can only hold the position for a short time. If you’re not fast enough you could end up in the far depths of space, which will not make getting you back very easy.”

Loki took the warning into consideration, and was more than prepared to face on any obstacles to get to Jane, “Very well, I’m ready.”

Heimdal steadied his grasp on the position and he suddenly shouted to Loki, “Go now!”

Loki launched himself through the Bifrost, and allowed the portal to plunge him aboard whatever ship Jane was held captive on. As he traveled at high speeds, he could do nothing but picture himself getting to Jane, and fighting off any force that was necessary to get her away from whomever it was that had taken her. He couldn’t imagine how scared she must be feeling, especially without anyone to help her. Loki knew this was the right thing to do, and used that motivation to ensure that his plan to get to her would work.

* * *

 

Jane was finally able to get some much needed; undisturbed, rest. When she woke up, she hadn’t felt so rested in a very long time, and it felt comforting knowing that she was at least in good company as far as she could tell. Drax and Gamora had been the only ones who checked on her a few times since they had brought her to the infirmary; and with great success Jane felt rejuvenated. It was remarkable how safe she actually felt. Whether or not that was true was an entirely different story, but she was content in knowing that she was being taken care and looked after; which was the first time in what felt like forever, not including the times Loki had kept her company.

Jane was given time to eat before she went up to speak to Quill who requested to speak with her in the common area. At least that’s the message Gamora had sent her this morning, if it was even morning at all. Time didn’t really seem to have much of a meaning out in space. Jane had taken a few bites of the protein-like substance that Drax had brought for her that morning, which tasted better than it looked. He had come to the infirmary a few times by himself just to sit next to her bedside, as if he was protecting her from something; or someone. Jane had sensed there was something going on that they weren’t telling her, or at least had yet to explain. She figured they wanted to make sure her strength was up so that she was better capable of comprehending important information. Normally, she would take offense to it; always quick to prove she was willing and able to handle anything, but they had gone out of their way to make sure she was hale and hearty that she was also not the kind to be outwardly rude unless provoked.

Drax sat hunched forward and was polishing a long curved blade in his hand to pass the time. She had never seen anything like him before; so unique and peaceful for someone as daunting as him, yet he was remarkably approachable and trustworthy. Then again, she showed no signs of discomfort when he was around because he was almost a soothing presence; like a big gentle bear. Jane found herself feeling more than comfortably around him, and didn’t feel nervous at all whenever she would pass out, as if he gave a sense of security. Him guarding her felt reassuring. It was a similar feeling she got from Loki. Somehow Loki’s presence allowed her to feel a certain confident understanding, and she shared a bond with the Trickster. It was much like these strangers who had randomly scooped her up off Earth in the blink of an eye. They all seemed so opposite from one another, yet all five of them trusted one another and possessed a true balance; each one able to fulfill whatever the other lacked.

The thought of Loki began to depress her, and she needed to think straight if she was going to talk to Quill, and understand why they had kidnapped her. But she couldn’t help but wonder where he could be at this very moment, or if she would even see him again. She was more than worried about that realization, but held on to that tiniest bit of hope that she had of finding him again.

Jane must have had a disturbed and distant look on her face, when she caught Drax feeling her forehead which startled her back to reality, and looking right up at him as she felt his wide palm rest gently against her skin. His expression was concerned and began to pour her some water and handed her the cup.

“Is Jane feeling alright?” he asked apprehensively.

Jane took the cup politely and responded, “Y-yes I’m okay.”

“Good, then you’re ready to speak to Quill now?” Gamora’s voice was heard from across the room as she suddenly appeared in the doorway, which broke the stare that Drax and Jane had been exchanging.

Jane almost blushed, but nodded her head compliantly, “Y-yeah, lemme just get out of bed.”

“Drax?” Gamora shot The Destroyer a look that meant for him to leave which he reluctantly took. He stood up and left the room, leaving Gamora and Jane alone.

“He likes you,” Gamora said boldly the second she knew the brute couldn’t hear her.

“He’s very kind,” Jane said with a weak smile.

“But you have a close regard for someone else…” Gamora had observed through her expressions.

Jane watched Gamora sit where Drax had and crossed her arms across her chest, intending to have a little conversation before taking her to see Quill. It was as if Gamora had been harboring a long awaited interrogation that suddenly made Jane uncomfortable and confused. Since her arrival, Gamora had been nothing but kind and caring towards her, now she had a tinge of mistrust behind her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry I don’t understand. Are you asking me if I’m in love?” Jane asked perplexed; not knowing why Gamora was even asking about her personal life to begin with.

“Normally I could care less, being that I don’t know you very well, but if I know you fancy a certain exiled Asgardian who had served Thanos for power, that creates a cause for concern,” Gamora didn’t hold back, or sugar coat it, and suddenly presented Jane with numerous accusations.

It took Jane a moment to process what Gamora had just accused her of, and at the same time, surprised that she even knew who he was, “You’re talking about Loki,” Jane put it simply, sounding rather relaxed about any of Loki’s past transgressions.

Gamora grimaced at Jane’s lack of the same concern, “So it’s true?” Gamora asked bluntly.

“I-it…it’s complicated,” Jane struggled with a clear answer, lowered her head in mild shame, and stared at her reflection in her mug.

“Love _is_ complicated,” Gamora pointed out, and didn’t sound convinced.

“Who’s Thanos?” Jane asked, changing the subject, and remembered the name Gamora mentioned from earlier.

Gamora just looked over at Jane with a painful gaze, which made Jane regret asking. Clearly this Thanos creature was not someone to be mentioned so carelessly in conversation. However, Gamora seemed to know things, and Jane saw the weariness deep within the woman’s eyes. Jane wanted to reassure her somehow that Loki was no longer much of a threat, but she was scared to even think of what she could do convince the woman. Gamora seemed too distressed and fearful to find any reassurance, no matter what Jane had to say about the God, and she had said that Loki had served Thanos before; which seemed to make the woman’s green skin turn white.

“Someone very evil and very dangerous; someone I cannot explain to you in one sitting I’m afraid. But I can tell you that I too had worked beneath the dark shadow of Thanos, and I remember Loki. Loki had been offered a substantial reward if the Asgardian would do Thanos’s bidding, before he gave him the Scepter. Although, I hadn’t seen the Asgardian since he left with it. I just assumed he had been betrayed by Thanos. Killed more likely; most of them do,” Gamora paused after seeing Jane’s expression turn sympathetically pained by her story, “but when you mentioned his name when we first brought you to the infirmary, and then over and over again in your sleep, my assumptions had become questionable,” Gamora looked away as if staring off into the void.

Blushing just slightly, Jane tensed and felt awkward around Gamora when she talked about Loki; someone she hadn’t imagined would know of him this far out in space, “He is alive, and from what I can tell, he doesn’t have that scepter anymore. He’s not evil like most people see him as; his own family take him for granted,. Whatever urged him to seek out this Thanos guy’s help had been out of selfish reasons, agreed, but he was lashing out. He was angry, confused, and lost…” Jane found herself defending the God; something she had never done before, but it came out so naturally that she didn’t even notice which made Gamora smile faintly as she sat back in her seat, and watching Jane with amusement.

“Taking on any task or making deals with Thanos is never something one can easily navigate from. In-fact it’s suicide, because there _are_ no deals to be made since Thanos only does anything of his own gain and power. Loki was simply a pawn,” Gamora almost sounded insulting, but Jane paid close attention to this new information she had never heard before; another perspective from a non-judgmental viewpoint, “You see Jane, Thanos has a way of poisoning the mind, and that scepter was just another way to control Loki and use him as he saw fit. I’m really surprised you even know of him, even more interested on _how_ you know him,” Gamora dropped her explanation and started sounding disbelieved yet intrigued.

“Why is that?” Jane asked curiously.

“You’re from Earth,” Gamora responded quickly.

“Isn’t Quill?” Jane asked carefully, hoping she wasn’t wrong…

“Y-yes, in a sense, but he’s been exploring space since he was a young boy,” Gamora began to express knowledge that Jane was ever so curious of, and Gamora saw Jane’s brow lift. Gamora coughed in her hand, and straightened her posture and back to being her typical poised self, “But that’s a story I’ll leave him to explain. The point is, is that this Loki you have your heart set on…just be careful…I’m sure you know how dangerous he is, or can be, and I _know_ how fascinating that can seem, but keep your guard up,” She paused waiting for Jane to lean in to listen more intently, “You never know when the snake will strike.”

Before Jane could even summon the courage to debate Gamora’s comment, even when knowing just how close she and Loki had become within the past week or two, Jane bit her tongue and got on her feet from the medical bed. It wasn’t as if she was completely ignoring Gamora’s advice, but she didn’t know her very well; not that she knew Loki all too well either, but Gamora hadn’t experienced Loki’s perpetual gravity. Gamora was left waiting for her by the door, motioning for her to follow her up to the common area where Quill was anxiously waiting to meet her. She shot Jane an unconscionable stare that unsettled in Jane’s veins, but knew it stemmed from Gamora’s lack of being familiar with how fascinating and honorable Loki truly was, but Jane dropped the subject for now. Just when they had started out friends, just mentioning Loki’s name changed the dynamic, and Jane needed to choose her words wisely from now on.

Gamora led Jane up to the common area of the ship where Quill and her two abductors were waiting for them. Drax was the only crew member not present, and Jane figured he must’ve been piloting the Milano. Jane was rather interested in the ships name and its origins, but felt asking wouldn’t be appropriate at this time when she caught the three of them watching her approach. Seeing Quill visibly for the first time was nerve racking. His arms were crossed over his chest and grimacing over at Rocket and Groot. It had been the first time seeing her kidnappers since she had woken up from the infirmary and Rocket in particular seemed overly nervous in front of her. Groot just looked pleasantly pleased to be simply standing there as he grinned at her. He was so odd and interesting that Jane found herself unable to drop her eyes while observing his plantlike features; trying to figure out how something like him could even exist, but Quill’s voice interrupted her oblivious staring.

“Ah Jane, good to see that you’re back on your feet,” Quill said kindly to her, but he still looked stiff and firm as he turned to face Rocket, “Now, Rocket, don’t you have something you wish to _say_ to Jane?”

Rocket scratched his furry scalp between his pointy ears; “Sorry” his apology was so muffled that Jane couldn’t quite hear him.

Before Jane could lean in to ask, Quill was quick to interject, “Oh, I’m sorry, what was that? I don’t think she heard you?” His exasperated sarcasm almost made Jane want to snicker, but she held back her amusement and just looked down at Rocket endearingly sympathetic because he was clearly in trouble.

“I’m SO-RRY!” Rocket annunciated to Jane.

“For what?” Quill shoved him by his small shoulder.

Jane almost felt sorry for Rocket since he looked so cute and cuddly, but she had to remember that he was the one who put her in that hospital bed; this animal was vicious. If he even was an animal.

“I’m _sorry_ for chasing you and that I gassed you so much it made you sick! _THERE_! Ya happy now, _Starlord_ Captain?!” Rocket gave a mocking salute to Quill, proving Jane’s assumptions that Quill and Starlord were one and the same.

She couldn’t help but smile amusingly at Rocket who wasn’t paying attention before she leaned down and gave him a light peck on his furry forehead which caused him to freeze. Jane wanted to be upset, but Rocket had brought her someplace special, took her up into space, and allowing her to venture into yet another adventure she had no idea what it was going to offer her. Everything seemed so exciting and unexpected that she couldn’t help but feel grateful to the little guy, regardless of how she ended up here. She looked at him briefly before looking up at Quill who seemed amazed by her gesture; letting go of a half smirk. Gamora just stood against the wall snickering at Jane’s act that nearly made the raccoon collapse to the floor.

“Apology accepted,” Jane said kindly, while Rocket took a minute to observe Jane’s expression through his dark beady little eyes.

Rocket then coughed into his palm, “Y-yeah, I uh gotta go. C’mon Groot, we’ve got weapons that need calibrating,” Rocket began to walk off quickly, not noticing that Groot had yet to follow as he stood before Jane.

“I am Groot,” He looked down at Jane with his goofy grin which made her force a smile in return.

“I’m not sure how anyone can stay mad at _that_ face. It’s very nice to meet you Groot” Jane commented as she lifted herself by her tip toes, and gave Groot a generous peck on his wooden cheek.

First impressions were important if she was to gain the trust of this oddball crew, and they responded well to her charm well enough. Groot nodded and took after Rocket who was standing by the stairs and tapping his tiny foot. Jane laughed and turned to Quill who was now less daunting and much more relaxed; brining his hand out for hers.

“It’s nice to officially meet you Jane Foster. My name is Peter Quill, but most people know me as Starlord” Gamora coughed in her hand which earned her one of Peter’s offended looks, “But you can call me Quill; everyone else does,” Quill began his introduction as she took his handshake; but he took it between both his hands and tugged her closer to him, “We’ve been looking for you a _long_ time.”

Jane didn’t quite understand why or what he was talking about, but was patient and continued to hear him out.

“Look why don’t you take a seat, and we can talk,” He insisted as he offered Jane a spot on the chair next to her.

“T-thanks,” Jane sat obediently, never letting her eyes trail off from him yet she was still incredibly nervous.

He seemed almost cautious around her, and he kept sending glances over at Gamora. Jane didn’t follow his eyes in her direction, only because she assumed Gamora was around for moral support which was also an indicator that the two were closer than they were revealing. Jane was hoping this wasn’t going to lead to more questions about Loki, and was prepared to lie to them if she felt the need arise. But the way Quill was looking at her in disbelief had made her inquisitive. He finally took a seat in front of her and ran his hands through his bronzed and wavy hair.

“God, I don’t even know where to start…” Quill laughed as he hung his head slightly, then back at Jane.

“Why don’t you start with why you kidnapped me?” Jane asked candidly.

“We didn’t _kidnap_ you, we rescued you,” Quill corrected her, “ _How_ you were rescued was _totally_ screwed up, I admit, but I assure you it was not without a reason.”

“So what’s the reason?” Jane asked with slight irritation which placed Quill back to his firm expression.

“Someone has been after you, and it’s taken us quite a bit of time to finally locate you. Thankfully we got to your location before he could. He’s been very determined and with the help of our resources were able to interfere at just the right time,” Quill began to explain, but Jane was still sitting there looking disordered.

“Who’s been after me?” Jane questioned, demanding more details and remembering her dreams of the force that had been tormenting her there, wondering if this was connected.

“He goes by the name of Thanos,” Quill spoke the name carefully, which instantly caused Jane to turn her head towards Gamora who just sat up against the wall looking solemn and unaffected.

“Thanos…” Jane repeated the name for a second time, allowing it to resonate in the air and trying to make sense of this new enemy that could have possibly been the cause of her nightmares.

“Yes, and anything he’s after is reason enough to force us to be one step ahead of him, and we’ve been tracking his activity for quite some time. This led us to you, and we’ve learned quite a bit; A LOT in fact. I certainly discovered more than what I was even prepared for, which made finding you just that much more crucial,” Quill explained with a determined tone.

“I’m not sure I understand; why would Thanos want me?” Jane asked.

“Thanos is destruction reincarnate, and a powerful God who wants only one thing; power and death. And he wants you because of who you are and what you’re capable of,” Quill put it simply.

“Who I am? Well I’m just a scientist, and _definitely_ incapable of anything past my knowledge of astrology which doesn’t go that far these days,” Jane began to sound insecure of herself, but Quill was quick to disagree, but said nothing as he allowed Jane to process the first wave of information.

Quill smiled at Jane, as if her not understanding her own self-worth, “You are more than that, Jane.”

Jane raised her brow at him with suspicion, “So Quill; who am I then?” She asked.

Quill took a moment to answer her, not sure how to say it. He glanced over at Gamora once more; Jane looked over her shoulder, and saw the alien woman give a complacent nod out of the corner of her eye. Quill’s eyes locked back onto Jane’s as he leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees, and scratching at his facial scruff.

“So, you have no idea? You never wondered how different you are; never questioned yourself and knowing you were different than anyone else?” Quill questioned her doubts as a human, clearly he was insinuating at something.

“I-I supposed the thought may have crossed my mind a few times in my life, but everyone feels out of place every once and awhile. What’s all this got to do with me?” Jane began to feel annoyed by the vagueness of the conversation while at the same time tried to recollect any moments of her past that would be significant, which only led to her possession of the Aether. Could that have been what he was talking about? Thanos, if he truly was the one who invaded her dreams, had demanded this from her every night for the past two weeks. What was Quill trying to tell her?

“If there was anytime you felt that way? Well, you were right, and it’s because you’re not entirely human,” Quill revealed casually.

“W-wait what?” Jane winced and shook her head in disbelief.

“You’re only somewhat human,” Quill worded it differently.

“Somewhat human? That doesn’t even make sense. How could you even know this?” Jane questioned in disbelief, “and how can you say this with such a straight face?”

“Because we’re related,” Quill finally publicized, but Jane still couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to tell her.

“Related?” Jane repeated his last response almost in utter disbelief and slight disgust.

“I’m your brother Jane,” Quill said more specifically which caused Jane to gape, “Well, half-brother to be more specific.”

Had Jane been drinking anything at this moment, she would’ve spat all of it out like an exploding geyser. But her initial shock had left her staring blankly at Quill, unable to process this revelation with very little ease. Instead she just sat there unsure of what to say or do and Quill sat up, waiting for her to give any sort of verbal response. Jane seemed frozen until she stood up abruptly to pace back and forth, trying her best to accept this new information which she was having a hard time doing. Quill could hear her muttering to herself, as she began questioning her entire life.

“My Brother…? I have a _brother_? …H-How could I have a brother all this time and not ever know about it? Does Eric know? Did my mother know? What about my father? Does anyone else know about this? Goddammit! Why hasn’t anyone said anything about this to me sooner?” Jane questioned softly below her collar, but Quill could hear every word.

“We share the same father, if that’s what you’re wondering. Guess the dude got around…” Quill chimed in with a bit of a crude joke trailing softly behind it; interrupting her little argument with herself.

She shot Quill a look of shock, “My father? I never met my father…” she paused as the dots began to connect together, “Mom had always told me he died in a car crash before I was born.”

“It’s a very long, and very excruciating story,” Quill tried to simplify it.

“Well? I’ve got nowhere else to be,” Jane dropped right back in her chair, crossing her arms, and her leg crossed over the other like a determined teenager; she was taking the news rather well, considering the longer they talked about it, the angrier she was becoming.

“Look, what’s important right now Jane is that we take you as far away from _his_ path as possible…we don’t know who else Thanos could have coming for you,” Quill warned.

That seemed to trigger the memory of Gamora questioning her about Loki. Jane winced up at Quill not wanting to hear what he had to say next, “Look, he’s not working for this Thanos guy if that’s what you’re getting at! He’s not being influenced by him anymore. He’s saved my life when I had the...” she paused mid-sentence as Quill raised a suspicious brow at her, but she was quick to jump back to the matter at hand, “Look, if he wanted to take me back to Thanos, he would have done so already.”

Quill eyeballed Jane and then looked over at Gamora who just sent him a telepathic, _“I told you so”,_ then returned to find that Jane was more than ready to defend the Asgardian to the end, and Quill didn’t have the patience for it, “Hey I’m not pointing fingers at the guy, but from now on you have to be extra careful. You have no idea what Thanos is capable of.”

“Well it doesn’t matter since Loki probably doesn’t even know where I am…seems like you all are making sure of that,” Jane turned her head away with sadness.

She got distracted and looked out of one of the small windows of the ship and watched thousands of stars shimmering past in countless thin glowing lines. She was feeling upset over what little was being explained to her and their apathetic opinions about the Trickster. Quill didn’t want to pass judgment on the Asgardian, but from what Gamora had told him about Loki, was that he was a skilled illusionist and telepath; capable of controlling the minds of the weak and deceiving anyone to ensure his benefit; characteristics that Quill just didn’t trust.

“He’s been inside your mind for several days now, right?” Quill began to drop the Loki accusations for the time being and jumped right back into the mission details. Jane nodded; flabbergasted that he could even know that, “Right, well, for now the game plan is that we are taking you first to Xandar. There you’ll be tested at our base called Nova Corp. where they will try and extract whatever information they can find and use it to predict his next move. _Weeee_ , should be docking there soon; few days at least. There have been discussions about making a pit stop, but as a precaution I don’t know if I want to take that chance…” Quill checked his strange looking wrist watch and then saw Jane just stare off into the distance, knowing her brain must’ve been going into shock. He rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him, “Hey…” He then grabbed each side of her face and forced her to look at him in the eye.

Jane did, and saw the quiet hazel nebulas. She was forced to concentrate on his face, taking his features in as if trying to recognize him even though they had never met before in their lives. Somehow, being this close to him was starting to make sense; an instant connection was surly being felt. Jane didn’t know if it was because of her undying need to discover and explore the universe, or her unrelenting desire to learn of her past that she clearly knew nothing about. Her passion for understanding space travel seemed to be making much more sense to her; that it wasn’t just a silly pipe dream to never have come true even in several lifetimes, but a reality that has been kept from her all these years. She had family out in the Universe; alive and sitting right in front of her. Tears began to swell in her eyes from being overwhelmed with emotions, and Peter was quick to reassure her with an embrace that was so caring that it was beginning to punch at her heart nearly through the other side. She couldn’t help but return the gesture.

“I never even knew,” Jane whispered into his shoulder, staining his shirt with her tears, as she gripped tight.

“It’s not your fault,” Peter tried to calm her down, watching as Gamora sent him a sweet smile that he hardly ever got to witness. She nodded and took her leave and gave them both their privacy; to which Quill was thankful, “To be honest, I was pretty pissed off too, but you can’t regret something you didn’t know about to begin with. You shouldn’t blame yourself.” He pulled away from her and wiped a tear falling down her face as that last comment made her force out a smile.

It took her some time to ask, but felt the need to lighten the mood, “So who’s the oldest?” as she sniffed and smudged her eye with her thumb, trying to keep the tears from flowing.

“Two years older…” Peter pointed two thumbs at himself with innocent smugness.

Jane snickered, and suddenly felt entitled to her well-deserved outburst, but that still meant he was the eldest, so already he had that card to play; would he have any desire to use it against her in the future. That’s when those thoughts began to race through her mind. There just had to be more to it than just Him and his crew protecting her from some treacherous God that was after her. Jane remembered when Quill mentioned that they were taking her to run tests to extract information. Somehow, she didn’t like the sound of that.

“Look I know this is all a little bit out of blue,” Quill seemed to read her perfectly, “And I just so you know I am in no need of a kidney,” He joked as he patted his lower back.

Jane laughed at his joke, finding his choice of guarantees amusing, “I…may need some time. This is a lot to take in,” Jane’s tone became pensive; trying to make sense of everything she was just told, and unable to keep Loki out of her mind. She felt like her brain was about to overload.

“Hey, you take all the time you need; at least ‘till we get to Xandar,” Quill stood up and offered his hand to Jane.

Jane took it without hesitation and allowed him to help her back on her feet. She stood in front of Quill; now looking at her long lost brother in the eye, and still trying to pin point the similarities between them. He scratched the back of his head out of awkwardness as she kept studying him. Out of delayed reaction Jane shook her head out of her quintessential habit of trying to solve problems in her head; so many unanswered questions.

“So, what’s there to do on this ship?” Jane set her questions aside for now and curiously looked around what looked to be the lounge area.

Peter smiled at his little sister, trying to remember that they had a lot to learn about each other. Jane caught him looking childishly gleeful as he asked, “Do you like music?”

 


	9. While You Were Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane begs Quill to let her go with him and the rest of the crew on the shopping trip. Starlord caves and allows her to tag along. Gamora gets Jane a new outfit, while mischief occurs back at the Milano.

“Please Quill! Let me come with you! I could help carry the bags!” Jane was practically chasing Peter down the corridor of the ship towards the Cockpit and tried to ignore her constant pestering that had been going on for a good portion of the morning; “C'mon, I’ve never been on a colony before!” She begged enthusiastically.

It was typical Jane, but her eagerness to tag along with the rest of the crew was something Peter hadn’t anticipated. He was adamant about keeping Jane on the ship, but the problem was that she was just as tenacious as he was. Of course this wasn't surprising considering they were siblings. “I’m not risking it Jane. I’m sorry. You know how I feel about it.” 

“Look Peter you can’t just keep me prisoner here, so why not trust that I can take care of myself?” Jane felt childish trying to explain to her older brother how she wasn’t, but Peter wasn’t backing down.

“Jane!” He swiftly turned and snapped at her to make it clear he wasn’t going to give into her nagging; this startled her to take a step or two back. He settled his shoulders and let out a settling breath, “I already said before that you can help me be staying here with Drax and make sure no one hijacks the ship.”

Which was bullshit since Gamora had once mentioned that the Milano was given docking security by Nova Corp, and no one could even touch the ship after it landed anywhere in the Galaxy. Jane placed both hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, already finding it difficult to level with Quill. She understood his concerns, but Jane wanted to be adventurous while at the same time; be beneficial to them to prove she wasn’t useless. If she was as special as they had said then what was so dangerous about a routine shopping trip on a space colony? It didn’t seem all that life threatening.

“This is such bullshit,” Jane cursed, throwing her arms up out of frustration, and storm off in the opposite direction; ignoring that she accidently shoved Gamora as she sauntered by.

Gamora looked perplexed by Jane’s infuriated temper as her eyes followed in Jane’s direction then back at Quill. “Still trying to keep your sister from growing up are you? Several years too late Peter."

Peter shook his head dismissing the Assassin’s comment and headed towards the cockpit. “She needs to realize how dangerous it is out here.”

“I hate to break it to you Peter, but Jane has been through as much danger as you and I. She’s been to Asgard and Svartalfheim; those are entirely different dimensions that go beyond space and time. She’s fought alongside Gods and confronted Dark Elves." Peter stopped and slowly turned to Gamora as she reached up to touch the side of his face. “She's had an Infinity stone inside of her. You and I both know how incredible that is. I’m sure she can handle a small colony." Gamora spoke sincerely with an attempt to defend Jane, but Quill didn’t seem convinced even though his harsh demeanor seemed to dissolve.

“A colony full of bounty hunters, gangsters, and pirates; who knows if there’s anyone out there that’s working for Thanos. It’s not Disneyland." Quill countered, but received a puzzled look from Gamora.

“Disneyland?” Gamora asked extremely confused.

“Never mind." Peter just walked away; dropping the argument altogether. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jane took to her bunk that was given to her after Peter gave her a tour of the ship. It was confined, but quaint considering it was all she had. What she did love about it was the window with a spectacular view that looked out into the endless black covered in sparking stars and passing systems. The first day on the Milano Jane had sat in front of that window for hours just watching the Galaxies fly by. With Jane’s new awareness of who she really was, it had begun to drive her mad. It was infuriating how overprotective Quill had become in just a short amount of time. Arriving at Nova Corp was nerve racking enough. A walk around a space colony was the perfect distraction. From what Gamora told her of the place, it was dingy and full of dishonorable scoundrels. Nothing Jane couldn't handle.

Xandar seemed much more intimidating than a small colony. Jane never did much care for large cities or authority, but if going there meant it would help keep Thanos from terrorizing the Galaxy, then she would do it. However, Jane wasn’t about to sit and wait for it. She wanted to help fight. That’s when she remembered she was running late for her lesson.

Jane ran quickly to get to the armory in time. Just as she expected the door was open and she let herself in. There sitting by the weapons table was Drax, hunched over, and polishing his blades. He caught her movement at the corner of his eye and sat up to acknowledge her presence, sheathing his blade in his belt. He sent her a half smirk and motioned for her to come in. Jane blushed like she always did whenever she was late or nervous. 

“Sorry I’m late." Jane walked up to the table with an innocent smile on her face.

Drax smiled in amusement of her frantic state, and sensed that something was bothering her. "Please, sit.”

She did so willingly and dropped herself into the chair out of exhausted frustration. Drax sent her a concerned look which was oddly welcoming and made her feel more comfortable. He always had a way of making her feel more at ease. Jane knew she could come to Drax for anything, and had developed a quick bond with him. He began showing her how to clean and sharpen weapons as an act of acceptance and knew she was desperate for something to keep her occupied. He respected Jane’s persistence in being more useful to the crew and was open to teaching her the ways of a warrior by showing her the essentials to which Jane was more than grateful. Quill, of course, was not aware of any of their recent get-togethers, and Drax promised Jane that he would keep their lessons a secret for now until Starlord was more comfortable with her on board. 

“You look upset.” Drax offered her a seat, more interested in talking than starting any sort of blade sharpening exercise. Jane seemed appreciative.

She let out a sigh, placing her palms flat against the table top and slowly clenched them into fists. "He won’t let me go to the colony with him. He treats me like I’m some helpless animal to keep me locked up.” 

Drax listened intently, leaning in with his elbows against the table, and staring at her with a thoughtful expression. He gave Jane a moment to adjust herself and allowed her anger to subside. However, as much as he sympathized for Jane, he trusted the Captain with his life, and knew that Quill only meant what was best for her.

That didn't stop him from wanting to teach Jane a thing it two. In fact he treasured her company. Since Jane was recovered the two of them had conversed several times about her discoveries, and what she had learned from her experiences with interstellar contact and her dimensional travels. Her enthusiasm was contagious and he enjoyed listening to her frantic story telling. To him, she was the essence of grace and wisdom which made it difficult to refuse her requests. Jane came to him personally; wanting to learn how to fight after she had witnessed one if his routine training sessions. She seemed amazed and impressed by his skills; anxious to know how to do what he did since she hadn’t seen anything like it. Drax found her worthy. Her intelligence and prior experience with Gods had only inspired him to educate Quill's sibling and was eager to teach her whatever she wanted to know, as long as it was within reason.

"He had us searching for quite some time; he is only..."

Jane interrupted rudely, "Looking out for me, I know!"

Drax was flabbergasted by her comment, "Quill knows you are not blind. He only wants to protect what he loves."

Jane ignored his confusion of her figure of speech. "But he doesn't need to, I've gotten this far in life without his help. All I want is to improve. I want the skills that both you and Gamora have. God, if only I could find the guts to ask her for help." Jane was clearly getting stir-crazy by being confined on such a small ship. Drax knew the deep yearning for battle and the demand for the knowledge of combat.

Drax cocked his eyebrow and sent her a suspicious look. "That sounds unnecessary and extremely grotesque Jane. I’m sure just asking her would suffice.” Jane started to laugh, remembering his lack of understanding metaphors. "It’s just a figure of speech.”

“I see.” The Destroyer tried to make sense of her simile. He caught her smiling and leaned in closer to her with his elbows pressed against the table. "Learning how to fight is not a path you can easily tread. You must accept the challenges. It’ll be painful, and not just physically." Drax didn't sugar coat it and Jane never dropped her gaze or the determined grin across her face.

“I understand." Jane complied.

“You’ll shed blood." Drax warned again.

“I’ve seen it before,." Jane countered and leaned in even closer.

“You’ll need to be the most focused you’ve ever been, and ready to break whatever is necessary to make you stronger." Drax continued to test her willingness to take on the challenge; leaning even closer to her and staring with his intense gaze.

“I’ll do whatever it takes." Jane spoke firmly with intent. Nearly had to stand to get in even closer. They were just inches away from one another.

“Good, now go change into proper attire.” Drax stood up abruptly while Jane’s eyes followed his towering height, “Then meet me below deck.”

He was out of the armory within seconds, leaving Jane reluctant to do as he requested. All she was given was a pair of sweat pants and a cotton tank for sleeping in, and figured it would be acceptable for whatever it was Drax was preparing for. When she arrived at the storage deck, Drax had already reassembled the area. Jane stood patiently until he finished. She saw he had shoved aside supply crates to make more room for the two of them and noticed there was a few rubber mechanical mats on the floor.

Jane finally found herself standing face to face with the Destroyer, and felt the strength through his eyes. He was rid of his belts and blades; just him in his typical casual attire and was holding a few yards of linen wrappings. Without a word he took her hands and began wrapping her fists to secure them. Jane smiled as she remembered watching this in movies and felt the adrenalin kicking in.

“Is this so that I don’t snap a bone in half?” Jane asked sarcastically with a smile.

“Precisely." His direct response made Jane swallow a giant ball of anxiety only because she knew then that he wasn't joking.

“Now Jane; listen carefully. You need to understand that I am here as your mentor. I will teach you how to fight, but I cannot guarantee you will come out of this unscathed. Let it be known that I do not intend to do harm intentionally. If you ever feel like you’ve reached your breaking point, tell me immediately.” Drax went over his disclaimers and Jane felt honored that he was even agreeing to this arrangement. 

She responded with a confident and compliant nod, “Understood.”

Drax grinned and adjusted his posture. “We’ll start with your stance.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The walk back to her room was treacherous. Her first training session with Drax had nearly killed her. Between meditation and the first of her strength endurance trials, her body was ready to cave and collapse. The soreness in her muscles were practically screaming, but was sucking it up to prove she could handle it. While thinking about this Jane wasn't looking where she was going and nearly ran right into Quill.

"Peter!" Jane nearly shouted in surprise.

"Well c'mon. You wanted to see your first colony. Let's get goin'. We'll be landing soon." Starlord walked passed her and tried not to appear as harsh this time. He wanted to be himself, but it was difficult trying not to be overprotective. Quill had to accept that Jane not only had potential but was more experienced than he had given her credit for. It was time that he let his guard down, and allow her to participate. 

Jane's face lit up, but by the time she turned to offer thanks, he disappeared around the corridor. There seemed to be something troubling Quill; his eagerness to connect with her had become non-existent. Yet, the pure excitement consumed her; a feeling she lacked for what felt like an eternity. Knowing she was going to step foot on yet another world beyond her own was invigorating and completely masked her aching muscles. It took her mere seconds to reach her chambers, changed into her casual attire, and was already heading towards the bridge. 

By the time she was at the end of the hall Gamora was waiting by the door to the landing ramp. She eyed Jane up and down and couldn't help but make herself a personal note to find this girl some proper clothing to travel in. The T-shirt and Jeans just would not do for galactic travel. Jane smiled at Gamora in hopes that she was truly welcome on this shopping trip. The last thing Jane wanted was to be thought of as a burden. As Jane approached, the emerald assassin sent her a reassuring nod.

"Do you have everything you need?" Gamora asked kindly. 

"Yes I'm ready." Jane replied gleefully. 

"Good. We won't be there long. Quill is taking Rocket and Groot to meet with one of his contacts to get supplies for the ship. While he's doing that I figured you and I could do some shopping. Not to be one to judge your choice of dress, but what you're wearing won't offer much protection for much longer." Gamora discussed the itinerary while they waited for Quill.

Jane had expected something would be said eventually about her clothing, and the mere idea of getting something new to wear was a fascinating thought. Jane knew she didn't have much of a fashion sense. Most of the time it was Darcy who kept her up to speed on trends, but being this far out in the black made her eager to see what was out there. She admired what Gamora wore; tight fitting garments for effortless mobility. Jane hoped that she could trade her jeans for something with more functionality. Besides, who could say "no" to a galactic make over? 

Quill appeared almost magically while the two women discussed shopping strategy; his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Funny how it doesn't matter what part of the Galaxy you're in; girls will always want time to shop." 

Gamora gave Quill a swift and effective punch in the shoulder which made Jane laugh. Quill didn't exactly find it that amusing since Gamora never held back, nor was she subtle. "This coming from the man who couldn't decide which pants made his rear look better." 

Quill looked appalled that Gamora would pass judgment on him, "As a public figure it's important for the ladies to like my butt."

Rocket overheard Quill's comment and was more than willing to offer his opinion. "You gotta point Quill. Maybe Gamora could come with us to show a little cleavage. Maybe we'll get a discount.-- and I'm not saying this to be sexist, it's an effective sales tactic."

"You are both pigs." Gamora rolled her eyes trying to fight back the urge to inflict any more violence on the two insufferable men. 

Jane fought even harder trying not to laugh in hysterics. Instead the assassin huffed out her disgust, punched the button on the wall to allow the ramp to open. Peter was quick to follow on her heel only to continue to aggravate her. Jane watched them with an entertained look on her face. Clearly there was a complicated relationship between them that bordered on rivalry. The vague hostility she had towards him was almost cute and made this outing just that much more interesting to the scientist. 

As the group of misfits left; Drax remained on the ship to keep watch and ready to go in case of any trouble, were it to occur. However, while he waited patiently for the rest of the crew to come back, he was completely oblivious to sounds of a storm just several blocks away from the ship.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a disturbance nearby. A burst of light struck the ground in an instant while a cloud of dirt and mist picked up around the hunched over dark figure that materialized in the center.

Loki had arrived.

He stood from where he landed and almost bewildered that he had ended up in a random place unexpectedly. He was battle ready; His armor glistened dimly in what appeared to be a dank and desolate enclosure. The smell of oil and grease were rank and apparent even the Asgardian had to shield his nose for a moment. There was a heat radiating off of him from where Heimdal had dropped him off. He scanned the area frantically in hopes of finding any signs of Jane. A glimmer of light caught his eye. Just up ahead was an alleyway that led to another landing sight. 

And there it was; the very ship that snatched Jane right in front of him. It took no time for him to conceal himself from plain view and rushed towards it. Once he reached the strange looking aircraft, he examined it thoroughly. The engines hummed quietly making the God wonder if Jane was locked away inside, but how to get to her before the ship takes off again. Just as Loki was devising a plan to break in the back hatch opened up and a pair of pounding steps stomped off the platform. It was a different person than before and not the treelike creature with that vermin who incapacitated Jane. He scowled at him wishing to slice the brute into pieces for what they had done, but Loki had to focus on getting Jane to safety first. Patience wasn't his strongest characteristic, but he had enough to know the best moments to strike. He was even more confident that he'd have his chance to collect vengeance later. It was in that train of thought when Loki saw the opportunity to sneak aboard.

And he did.

Still hidden from plain sight, Loki took a minute to assess his surroundings. If Jane was here he'd find her and hoped to the Gods that she was unharmed or so help the unfortunate bastard that would have the guts to even touch her, for The God of Mischief would surly kill them. He paced fervidly trying not to make any obvious notes of his presence. The God searched thoroughly for Jane; each room he found was empty until he turned into one corner and nearly running right into that same tower of pure muscle. Loki was quick enough to dodge him and stood against the wall to carefully observe the transient. Up close the Asgardian realized he had never seen anyone like him before. His markings didn't give any inclination either. Loki began to wonder if this man was responsible for Janes capture and if so, what could someone like him possibly want with her? The stranger looked menacing, and definitely not someone who looked at all trustworthy. The mere thought of her with this man made him cringe. Fortunately for Loki, this monstrosity was unaware of his presence and the God turned to keep searching for her.

He felt he looked everywhere until he reached the last small space at the end of the winding hallway. It was practically a storage closet; too miniscule to be considered a room. Loki was just about to turn in frustrated anger from failing to find Jane, until he caught a glimpse of a small t-shirt folded over a small stool next to a poor excuse for a cot built into the side of the room. He picked it up and immediately recognized it. Without much thought to what he was doing he pressed the shirt to his nose and took in the scent. Doing so brought memories of them together instantly and remembered the way Jane's body pressed up against him; the way he kissed her lips and skin during that desperate and overzealous moment they shared in her bedroom. His slender fingers clutched tightly into her clothing, wishing like mad that she was in them. The thoughts were enough to overpower his desire to find her even more.

Where was she? She was nowhere to be found, and this room showed no signs of a struggle. He couldn't help but sense that she was in danger. However, judging by the state of this area, there was no telling what happened to her or where she was. Loki began to panic. His nerves began to twitch beneath the surface as his heart rate quickened. A million different scenarios ran through his head of something horrible happening to Jane and he was prepared to reap death upon anyone involved.

_"Calm yourself Loki. Don't lose focus now. She could be safe."_ Loki repeated this rational reassurance over in his head and decided to lay low for a while. There was a possibility that she was unharmed and could return with her captors. When and if that happens, he'd be ready for them. He didn't want to run the risk of venturing out further into the streets of this unknown territory in fear of missing any opportunity of finding her. He could leave to go looking for Jane, but the idea of losing her again was a risk the God refused to take.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Does it fit?" Gamora was standing outside the makeshift dressing room where Jane was trying on the outfit Gamora picked out for her. 

"Uh...depends on what you mean by fit." Jane's voice was skeptical and nervous. 

"C'mon, let's see it," Gamora demanded tugging on the cloth partition.

Without warning Gamora pulled the curtain back to reveal Jane in her new outfit.

With a startled gasp Jane turned and saw the Assassin eyeballing her up and down as she took a moderate step back. "It looks good, but can you move in it? There's a difference between ‘fit’ and ‘too tight’. Should fit you like a glove, but not hinder you from motion." Gamora recommended. 

Jane didn't have a mirror of any kind to give herself a critical evaluation. All she could do was trust Gamora's judgment. Quill's sister walked forward with ease. It wasn't uncomfortable, in fact it felt like she was wearing a second skin, but what it was actually made out of was a mystery to her. It was similar to leather, but more synthetic than anything she had ever seen, and she loved how dark and mysterious it was. Made her feel like a bad ass. She was more fascinated by the garment than modest of how she looked in it. Jane wasn't very buoyant with wearing anything revealing, and regardless of how form fitted this suit was, it covered what it needed to. It had to have been the most comfortable outfit she'd ever worn. It supported everything it needed to, secured with just the right amount of zippers and buckles, and fit in all the right places. Gamora instructed Jane to move in different positions just to test the product and by the looks of her impressed expression, it passed. 

"Fantastic. It suits you." Gamora complimented.

Jane smiled. "Thank you." 

Gamora checked her wrist and was quick to switch gears. "We better get back. Peter is ready to go." 

Jane nodded right away and took the tote of her old cloths and followed Gamora back to the Milano feeling more assertive and comfortable as ever.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quill, Rocket, and Groot were the first to return with their goods which were quickly brought aboard. About a half hour went by and Quill was growing impatient that Gamora and Jane weren't back yet. Back on the ship was relatively quiet until Rocket ran in front of him with a few random mechanical parts. "Yo Quill, We're ready to take off, where's Gamora and Jane?" 

Peter shrugged and ran a hand through his auburn curls. "They should have been back by now."

"I'm sure they're just late. Groot and Drax are at the helm waiting on you." Rocket reassured and Starlord nodded and watched his small crew member continue scurrying down the hall toward the cockpit. 

A heavy breath escaped Quill's lungs as he took to his quarters for a minute to relieve himself of his coat. He couldn't help the chill that traveled down his spine. It wasn't like Gamora to be late. He was starting to feel that maybe allowing them to go off together was a bad idea no matter how capable the two were. Just as he was turning from hanging his jacket there was a swift strike to his skull that instantly made his brain scream and his ears ring. Peter was disoriented for a painful moment, but still managed to stay steady on his feet. Right when he was becoming coherent enough to focus he turned. 

"Hey, what the...?" Starlord struggled to speak. Unsure as to whom or why someone would do this. 

He saw the assailant for only a split second before making his poor attempt to counter the throbbing pain on his head. Just as Peter was about to move, another blow was made and struck the back of his neck with a force that knocked him right to the floor; face first. His breathing and pulse had quickened, but the air in his lungs had rushed out of his chest. Peter's vision began to blur, and all he could make out was the silhouette of dark footsteps beside him. His consciousness was failing him until he completely blacked out.

Loki looked down at this new individual. The man on the floor looked Midgardian which confused him greatly. His assault was just strong enough to incapacitate him. This entire crew looked bizarre. Possibly mercenaries paid to retrieve Jane for whatever reason. He quickly grabbed the man from under his shoulders and dragged him off to the side to get him out of plain sight, making him slouch soundlessly in the corner. The God of Mischief studied the ruggedness of hus face and physical features when he heard the sound of footsteps headed his way. 

"Quill?" He heard a female voice call from down the corridor.

Immediately Loki took his victim's form and took to the hall and quickly closed the door behind him. As he walked down the hall a familiar face turned the corner. When he looked up to see who it was he stopped dead in his tracks. He knew that face well; she was the daughter of Thanos and she stood right before him. His face froze in astonishment. Her endearing and thoughtful expression was confusing, even more puzzling when she came closer to him with genuine concern. This was not the deadly assassin he remembers.

"Peter? What's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost?" She questioned softly.

The second she touched him with tenderness, Loki snapped out of it, and in an instant he grabbed her by the throat. His initial shock expired as he glared daggers down at her while his grip tightened. Gamora struggled briefly out of shock and once she gathered what was happening to her she reacted. With a swift kick her leg plunged into the side of his gut which released Peter's hand from her neck. She watched him stumble backwards with his back hitting the wall. She didn't engage only because she was catching her breath, and too flabbergasted as to why Peter would do such a thing. Something was very wrong with him.

"Peter what has gotten into you?" Her tone was mixed with anger and desperate confusion.

There was no response; no indication that Quill was listening to her. She wondered for a moment that maybe he had just become possessed, but how? He didn't give her time to think about it when he went after her with severe and threatening hostility. Despite her bewilderment she had to defend herself. Didn't matter what had happened to Peter, he was clearly motivated to harm her. His agile speed and fluidity came too quickly even for her. His actions were completely foreign and unpredictable that she could hardly recognize him. 

The two of them struggled with one another; both equally focused on beating the other down. She took a few brutal hits to the stomach and legs that it was impossible to keep up. His mood scared her. Why was Peter attacking her? She kept asking him over and over, but not a word came out of his mouth. She was frightened of him for the first time since she's known him with no idea what to do. Within seconds he'd gotten behind her. Her energy in keeping up with his tactics was drained completely, but before she could try to maneuver out of his grasp she was in a choke hold. Peter didn't waste a second in giving her neck a firm squeeze and holding her legs and arms in place so that she couldn't even move to defend herself. 

Gamora was heaving violently for air when she saw Drax come barreling down the hall. Once he caught sight of Quill and Gamora in a compromising position he stopped. Gamora locked eyes with Drax and could barely mouth a plea for help. Before Drax even had time to interfere, Quill had reached back and pulled out a sharp menacing dagger and placed the blade right up against her throat.

"Quill?! Let her go. You don't know what you're doing." Drax had his hands out carefully to help ease the tension in the room. There was obviously something seriously wrong with him; the look of death filled his eyes. 

With the loud commotion filling the entire ship, Jane could hear it from her room. There was a overwrought feeling of death in the air which she could somehow sense deep in her bones. Before she knew it, she was running out the door and headed towards the sounds of the struggle. Once she reached where the noises were coming from she saw what was happening. Drax was standing right in front of her and facing at what looked to be Peter choking the living daylights out of Gamora. 

Fear had taken over and she began shaking. Right when Jane was about to move forward to get a better look, Drax grabbed her quickly by her shoulders to keep her out of harm’s way. The second he did Quill caught sight of Jane and instantly went from determined killer to almost pure relief. His grip on Gamora eased instantly and she dropped to her knees. With her hands pressed firmly to her chest she was gasping for air trying to intake as much oxygen as possible. Once she found her bearings she turned her head to look up at Peter, only to find the Dark Prince of Jotunheim standing above her and looking directly at Jane. His façade had fallen along with his hands that were now dropped at his sides as the two of them stared at one another in surprise.

"Jane..." Loki's voice shook with a desperate need for validation. He took a step forward and just as he was about to take another one towards her something smashed him with what felt like a branch. He was hit so hard he immediately fell to the floor and laid there unconscious. 

Gamora managed to get back on her feet and wiped off the bit of blood running down her lip. She looked up and saw Groot standing directly behind where Loki had been. He smiled at her kindly and responded, "I am Groot."

"Thank you. Please take him down below deck and make sure you restrain his hands so that he can't use them. I have to go find Quill right away and make sure he's alright." Gamora was about to head off when Jane yelled out to her.

"Please don't hurt him!" Jane cried tried to tussle her way out of Drax's handle on her, but he refused to let go just yet. 

"Hurt him?" Gamora replied with disgust and got directly in Jane's face. "If you truly knew this man you wouldn't even have to think twice about me killing him right here and now. You may think you know him, but you don't Jane. He's deceitful and manipulative. Worse than that, he's a killer. I've seen what he's capable of. The only reason why I'm even remotely tolerating this right now is because you're Peter's blood, whom by some psychotic reason has feelings for this monster." 

Gamora's words stung. Jane's eyes were filling up with tears from the harsh words. Yes they were validated by what had just happened between them, but Gamora didn't fully understand why and it didn't seem like she was jumping for a reason to. Sure, Gamora may have witnessed the worst of Loki, but from all that Jane had experienced, there was a different side to him. Jane saw the pain and remorse of his sins, as unforgivable as they seemed, but she was convinced that there were many reasons for them. Most of which were fueled by hate and jealousy that she knew could consume a person as well as any God. Jane never looked at life in black and white; always trying to see the good in others regardless of their pasts, and she believed in second chances. 

Fighting alongside Thor and Loki had given her a sense of purpose to protect them; with her life if she had to. Loki in particular had protected her countless times before and she felt she owed him more than her life, from everything that had happened on Asgard and Svartalfheim. Jane felt responsible. To her it was her job to make sure no one on this ship harmed him no matter what enemies she’d be making because of it. That was Jane’s virtuous belief. 

However it was tough to convince Gamora of any of that right now. Jane knew when people had blinders on and when someone refused to see the other side of the coin. Yet, it was important to be obedient for the time being just to keep everything from spiraling out of control. As much as she wanted to fit in with the crew, it meant shit to her if they tried to hurt Loki. The trust for them was dwindling rapidly. Jane was finally able to shrug out of Drax's grip and watched Groot hoist the unconscious Loki over his wooden shoulder with ease as if the God were a sack of potatoes. The two of them disappeared down end of the hall. Jane then shot Gamora a look of rage that made even the Assassin flinch.

"Fine. Have it your way, but the second he wakes up I want to be the first to see him." Jane commanded and turned to leave without leaving any room for debate. 

Not paying any attention to where she was going, Jane accidentally shoved Rocket out of the way, making him drop a few of his trinkets and scraps all over the floor. He cursed out a few profanities and shook his head as She walked away. Jane completely ignored Drax who tried to get her attention, but it was of no use. Drax and Gamora finally looked down at Rocket who looked ultimately confused and oblivious to the tense situation. 

"What crawled up her butt? Did I miss something?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the bottom of my heart I am incredibly sorry for how long it's been since I've updated this story. It was never my intention to make anyone feel like I've abandoned it. Life just decided to suck all the free time I had left and it's been difficult finding any motivation these days. However, I kicked my own ass to force this chapter out and I really hope it is up to par. If not, I also apologize for that. Hope you all enjoy it. Will try and get the next chapter out soon.


	10. Rise and Shine Loki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane sneaks below deck to speak with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Marvel or any of it's character's.

Her voice was obscured as if she was only an echo, and Loki's awareness was blinded, but he could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath he took in. His brain throbbed heavily as the rest of his body began to respond to each of the slightest reactions to whatever cool touch dabbed at his forehead. The last time he ever felt this miserable was when he was violently thrown around like a rag doll by that green giant that had gone berserk on him when he invaded New York. Yet, there were soft touches that followed each rush of pain and it felt comforting. He tried to pry his eyelids open to awaken while the rest of his senses took their time to catch up. The faint voice had gotten closer now that he could almost hear his name.

"Loki? C'mon wake up." The woman spoke quietly, but he could hear it much more clearly now.

Hearing his name by the familiar voice managed to give determination to his nerves, and his eyes began to open up. Loki groaned from low in his chest, and blinked a few dozen times before he could focus on anything in the room. Suddenly he could make out someone, and with a few extra blinks he could barely make her out.

_Jane…_

"Yes. It's me. Just open your eyes." She responded to him, but he didn't remember saying anything, yet he could feel something moving his head to look forward, but his awareness faded in and out.

She touched his forehead again with what felt like a cold damp cloth and started to come back into consciousness again. Finally his eyes were open half way, but just enough to see that Jane was crouched right in front of him.

"Jane?" He said her name again, but wasn't convinced he was out of the woods just yet or if Jane was just a figment of his imagination.

He felt her fingers take his chin with the gentlest touch and feeling around his scalp with the other. "You had a hard hit to the head, but you'll be alright." He was finally able to comprehend her face and overwhelmed with relief that she was here with him and unharmed.

"You're safe…." His voice was hoarse and with a harsh intake of air, he coughed.

"Yes I am, and I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." Jane spoke reassuringly which brought everything back into perspective.

Suddenly the sense of wanting to reach out and touch her had filled his mind, but just as he tried to do so he couldn't. Something was holding him back from moving to hold her. Anger rushed through him and his adrenalin began to rise. He looked up to see that both his hands had been bound tightly into what looked to be branches and sprigs woven together intricately and secured over each palm. Loki found himself sitting up against the wall, and his arms stretched up, with Jane sitting right between his legs. He tried to budge his hands free, but whatever they were incased in was extraordinarily impenetrable and enough to keep them in place. Not even a powerful God like him could get free. Anxiety began to take over.

"W-What is this? Where am I?" Loki yanked and pulled, but still he couldn't break from his restraints.

"Loki, please. Just calm down and I can explain everything, but you have to be quiet." Jane spoke softly.

"Get these off of me!" Loki shouted. The last thing he wanted was to get locked up again with no ability to protect those that he cared for. He looked at her with panic in his eyes which unsettle her. She really didn't want anyone to hear this. They needed to talk.

Jane tried to reason with him. "Believe me if I could I would, but I can't."

He ignored her attempt at reassuring him and kept pulling, "We have to get out of here. We are in danger. One of his assassin is on this ship and I won't let her touch you. We must leave now!"

She said everything that she could, but it was pointless when he was so unhinged. She tried to steady him, but his entire body was working against him and started to thrash out of control. Something needed to be done to keep him quiet so no one could hear that he was awake. She needed him silent so they could work it out peacefully. It was obvious that Quill or Gamora wouldn't allow her to speak with him once he woke up, so she had to sneak down here and wake him up instead. But her plan was null and void if she couldn't get him to stop. The less irrational he was the better. Jane didn't know what else to do, so she did the only thing that she knew would grab his attention.

Jane avoided his distress and grabbed him by both sides of his face and pressed her lips firmly to his. Loki struggled for only a moment before his tussling began to seize. The kiss was just what he needed. It was as if she had flipped a switch and his attention was directly at her disposal. Her mouth massaged his lips with a soft rhythmic pace that impelled him. His entire body felt like it was melting to the floor the longer she held him there. How in the world did he allow this to happen? When did her touch have this much of a profound effect on him?

He felt her hands slide gracefully down to rest against his chest and she was effortlessly caught in the moment. It was then that he sorely wished he could hold her. He leaned his head in as far as he could to deepen the kiss as his pulse stabilized. Jane felt him kiss her back and it took her by surprise. This was in efforts to calm him down; not necessarily to share such a brief and intimate moment with him, but she found herself lost against his mouth and grabbed at his tunic to help pull him closer.

It took all the willpower in the world to part from him, but there was much they needed to discuss. As she pulled away, he couldn't help but stare deep into her eyes and begging for more contact with her. Jane had never seen him with such blissful longing, even from before. Seeing him this way reminded her that she was right in trusting him. He looked worn out and exhausted, which was also different from how he usually looked. It was almost reassuring that even a God like him was vulnerable, and knowing that Loki wasn't perfect made her fall for him even more than she wanted to admit considering how much she cared for Thor. 

Those innermost feelings needed to be locked away. There was no time for them to focus on the complexity of their growing relationship, or whatever it was that was happening between them. Jane sat back on her feet and let her hands fall to her lap. She looked down for a moment and tucked her hair behind her ear. Typically the Trickster would have plenty of enough words to express what he was feeling, but Loki was stagnant and tried to make sense of what just happened. He was still hating the fact that he was cuffed to the wall, but did his best to remain composed for her sake.

"S-sorry I…I just needed you to be quiet for a moment so you can let me explain the situation to you. But first; how the hell did you find me?" Jane finally looked up at him with her piercing auburn eyes, trying to bring the attention back to the situation at hand rather than focus on their exceedingly alluded kiss.

Loki sighed heavily, and felt his head pounding once again. He took a bit of time to answer, but there was no sense in keeping anything from her, not when their lives could be in danger. "Heimdal; He knows everything. I watched them take you and I could do nothing to stop it. I went to him for help, and he did." It was difficult for him to speak fluently from exhaustion, but his explanation was enough that Jane made sense of it, but his expression still looked weary of his position. "I only wish I could've gotten to you sooner." Loki admitted regretfully.

Jane found that statement unnecessary, and instinctively caressed the side of his face to ease his guilt. It wasn't needed. "Hey, you're here now. That's all that matters."

Loki accepted her tenderness and leaned into her touch which made her blush slightly. Seeing him react to her affection was unpredictably wistful. She never knew he had it in him; it was…moving. When he looked at her again he could see there was something bothering her. "Did they hurt you?" The way he said it was less in concern for her and more like a method of getting a reason to hurt them if he felt the need, but Jane was quick to reassure.

"Not at all. That's what I need to tell you." Her tone was nervous but comforting, as if he had nothing to worry about, but he wasn't yet convinced.

Her explanation was brief, but she explained all that had happened in the last few days. She told him about the entire crew and her relation to Peter Quill which seemed to amaze him. Beyond all that, there wasn't much to tell Loki, but there was enough information to ease his concerns to better assess how he was going to be released out of confinement. Regardless of how much Jane trusted this crew, he didn't, and was already calculating plans to escape with her. Jane could see that he was mentally strategizing. Once she realized what he was plotting, she decided to be upfront with Loki and confess what has been haunting her and what she has neglected to tell him since day one. The God of Mischief was no longer giving her eye contact when she said the one name he never expected to come from her mouth.

"I know about Thanos." Her tone was low and somber, which caught Loki's undivided attention. Hearing her say the name of the most deadly being in the known Universe, was almost debilitating. He figured Gamora played some part in her new discovery, but before he could respond she had more to say. "He's been in my thoughts…controlling my dreams…torturing me…" Her voice carried but broke with her every word.

It took Loki a great deal of patience to listen to this without interjecting with a plethora of questions. She looked so frightened, and not just from telling him, but from having to discuss what's been happening to her in the past several weeks. Jane was scare to even talk about it. That was obvious, and she had every reason to be afraid. It seemed as though her rehashing on the past was difficult for her, like she had been harboring conflicted feelings for too long that they were finally catching up to her. Loki however, was not the best candidate for being the shoulder for her to cry on given his track record for dealing with sentiment. Not that he could offer much in the way of comfort from his given position. Even if he wanted to, he was securely attached to the damn wall. What was even more ironic was that he really did want to comfort her. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything was going to be alright; that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Yet, his given state was restricting him from doing anything but listen. Perhaps it was enough.

Jane looked up at Loki after letting go of her turmoil. She didn't even really notice how much she had been crying. It allowed her to remember all those moments when Loki had showed up to her apartment with all his tricks and schemes to distract her from her sickness she was forced to endure. What had happened in the last few days that had brought them so close? Looking at him now, he was surly not who he used to be. If he was lying, he was doing a damn good job, but deep down Jane knew that he was being honest. He had no reason to lie at this point. However, even if she was wrong and he was plotting against her, she wouldn't regret believing in him. It wouldn't matter. Jane almost felt naïve for thinking that, but at this point she could give a damn what he had done in the past. What mattered was that he was here for her one way or another which was more than what she could say for anyone else she knew back on Earth.

It took Jane a lot of self-control not to kiss him again, because she had to remain focused. Before she could speak Loki interrupted. "He's hunting you. He must truly believe you have some of that Aether left in you? That's very unlikely. Or perhaps it's something else entirely. One cannot really be certain when it comes to Thanos. He's not exactly the type to negotiate. If he wants something he gets it regardless of the reason. If he's after you, then flying through the universe is probably not the best course of action. He has many under his control, and he knows exactly how to work things out to his favor. It's better to keep running and keep a low profile."

"I can't do that." Jane declared, but Loki didn't accept that.

"Why not? Do you want to get yourself killed? Is that what you worked so hard to do? With what little time you have left you want to waste it to cut it that short?" Loki debated, but Jane wasn't accepting the running scared plan.

"Running scared isn't the answer. He will never stop if we don't stop him. If there's a chance that I can stop him I'm going to take it. If it kills me at least I'll know that I didn't die without a fight." Jane argued.

"You won't know if you're dead Jane." His tone was desperate now; trying to make her understand through bated breath that her choice to face Thanos at some point was absurd. He admired how persistent she was, but not at the risk of losing her. When Loki looked at her he saw that Jane was giving him the same look his mother did; trying to convince him of a choice that was not the right one. It brought up too much of that memory and it was excruciating. Losing Jane like he lost his mother, was not a history he was willing to witness repeating.

Jane could tell she was touching on a sensitive nerve, but she was still novice to this new responsibility over her shoulders. She was a part of something more important than her life. Being selfish and abandoning everything was not the answer, but getting Loki to understand that was proving to be more complicated than she hoped. It was sweet that he'd become so protective and concerned for her well being, but she needed his support. Fighting alongside her and not as her rescuer was more than needed. He had done that enough times for Jane to understand that she had her own purpose in life; to find a way for her to not feel useless in the face of danger. He could help her do that more by showing just how to accomplish this, instead of taking her away from everything.

But there were his own personal demons to consider, and Jane had only expected he was still suffering from his own losses, but she needed him to get that his mother's death was not in vain. "C'mon Loki. Where's your faith in me?" He looked at her with curiosity. "Why don't you help us?"

"Pardon me, I must've gotten hit in the head harder than I thought. I could've sworn you said that you want ME to help you confront Thanos." Loki mocked, but Jane just smiled at his lack of imagination.

"You heard me correctly," Jane corrected.

"That's absolutely insane," Loki refused.

"You don't have any harbored resentment towards him? For what he made you do?" Loki immediately heard those words come from her mouth in shock.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Loki spat harshly.

"You mean to tell me that you wanted all that chaos to happen? You were really prepared to kill your own family, and SPARE me the 'They're not my real family" bullshit. Blood means crap when you were raised and loved by them your entire life. I may not know the entire story, but I know enough to understand denial when I see it. I've met your family, and you couldn't possibly want the throne THAT much to have done as much damage as you've d..." Jane was cut off instantly.

"That' enough!" Loki shouted which made Jane jump.

Jane went too far; that she knew, but he needed to accept his past regardless if she had the right. If a bond was growing between them, then Loki needed to be aware of what that meant. Jane wasn't afraid of him. She could take the hits. He was glaring daggers at Jane trying to intimidate her out of saying things that he didn't want to hear, but Jane was resilient enough not to let his poison affect her. Yet, Jane felt maybe she could soften the blow a little. "Look, what I'm trying to say is I'm not blaming you. And you may not want to hear this, but it's not like you've heard this from anyone else, so I'm sorry." Jane paused for a moment to give herself more courage to speak. "I'm sorry that you were lied to. I'm sorry you were manipulated, and I'm sorry about Frigga. I'm sorry that you...well I'm sorry for everything."

Loki stared at her stunned, but allowed her to express her sorrows. It was the first time he didn't have anything to fire back with, and that confused him greatly. Loki was accustomed to shooting his venom whenever he felt threatened, but not once did he feel he had to with Jane. Why did Jane think she had to apologize when she was not the cause of any of this? She never tried to deny anything, or fight to convince him of the reasons why. Jane just expressed sympathy. Something no one else had done. The God never wanted to admit if that would ever be enough, but hearing them come from her was empowering and reassured him that not everyone that knew of The God of Mischief thought he was evil.

"Loki I..." She was about to add to her long list of apologies, but Loki interrupted her.

"Thank you..." Loki spoke with a genuine firmness and Jane looked up into his glowing green eyes.

"Stay and fight with me." Jane blurted out.

Loki's heart warmed by the thought, especially coming from her own voice. He allowed the words to fill his brain for a good several seconds to let them sink in. There was no use fighting his feelings towards Jane, nor trying to escape his past sins. Maybe it was time that he stopped running too. His sigh was resounding. "As you wish."

"Really?" Jane's eyes lit up as if she hadn't expected Loki to oblige. It made her sublimely happy which made her a little nervous, but even more thrilled that he had accepted.

"Understand that this is about the craziest plan I've ever heard of, and I in no way want to face Thanos," Loki's voice was scratchy from exhaustion and Jane waited to hear more of what he had to say, hoping he wasn't going to reconsider her request, "But I would rather face Thanos alone wearing nothing but my helmet, than to suffer the wrath of Jane Foster."

Jane couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face, nor the charming laugh that she gave from Loki's over exaggerated fear of what would happen if he said no to her. It was...flattering. Not to mention the thought of him naked seemed to make her face blush intensely and hoped that he wasn't noticing. The feelings she was having and trying to fight were swarming, but it was even more difficult trying to keep her body from reacting to them because her heart felt otherwise.

"I...don't think you have to worry about me Loki. You never have before." Jane tested.

Loki winced at her comment. "I didn't care about you before. I actually pity my brother; the way you're constantly running head first into danger. It's enough to drive a God insane."

Jane laughed again, trying to give him a taste of his own smugness. "What can I say I like to live dangerously."

Loki raised an eyebrow at her and let out an exasperated breath. Her tenacity seized to amazed him. They managed to come to an agreement which was surprising, and felt remarkably natural for the two of them. "So Jane, what happens next?" He tugged again on his restraints just to see if by some miracle he could get out of them.

"You just have to hang tight for a little while longer. I'll talk with Quill and argue my way into getting them to hear you out, but you've got to work that silver tongue of yours." Loki grinned that charming smile of his for the first time since the day they met on Asgard. It was refreshing and gave her just the motivation she needed to move forward with their plan.

Loki was impressed, but surprised that she even knew about his nick name. "Where did you hear that?"

"Thor told me."

Loki laughed this time and wondered just how much his brother told her about him.

All flattery aside, Jane's smile fell back into a straight line. " They won't listen if you get impatient with them. Especially Gamora; she won't tolerate any malicious behavior. She's convinced you're bad news. That you're still working for him." She looked disappointed when she said it.

"Can't blame her." Loki admitted nonchalantly.

"Just be...less mischievous? This has to work out. Otherwise I don't know what will happen, but whatever does, it's not going to be good either way. So, please just don't give them a reason to throw you off the ship." Jane tried her best not to sound like she was nagging.

Loki dropped his head back against the wall with a sigh wondering how such a request was even possible, and then looked her in the eyes again. "As you wish."

Jane was beginning to think she should've met Loki a long time ago, then maybe the entire insident in New Mexico and New York could have been avoided. Jane was not one to dwell on "what ifs", but she couldn't help but wonder if things would've been easier or different had Loki been the one she hit with her van. She shook her head from the thought immediately. Why was she constantly trying to dismiss her memory of Thor every time Loki was around. It was aggravating and made her feel like a horrible person. She cared for Thor just as much, if not more than Loki, but the God of Mischief was having such an applified effect on her. He made her do things she never thought she was the type to do.

"Thank you Loki. I-I'll see you soon." Jane was about to get up from her spot, but Loki hooked his slender leg around her upper thighs and pulled Jane back and she fell against him with her hands against his stomach.

"With one condition." Jane's heart was pounding so hard her ribs hurt. Of course there was a catch with Loki. She wanted to smack herself and him for thinking it would be easy trying to reason with a selfish God, but being this close to him clouded her judgment just enough to hear him out.

"Name it." Jane said assertively. Her look went from thrown back to intrigued. Being this close to Loki caused a heat to grow low within her belly. She was practically laying on top of him. His gaze was hypnotic, but Jane was strong enough to play along and keep up.

Loki let out a soft chuckle of amusement; rather enjoying where Jane was positioned despite the fact that he couldn't touch her as much as he desired. It was fun making a game of this spark constantly igniting between them. She seemed to be calling his bluff, only he wasn't. "Kiss me again." He said as more of a demand than a request. He wanted her to seal the deal so to speak.

At first Jane wanted to shove him with disgust, but there was this unbreakable pull that he had on her now; so invigorating that it made her feel alive. It took her a moment to process just exactly how to respond. Doing so would solidify their agreement, but is that all it would mean? The fact that she really wanted to regardless of his offer was conflicting and a pain in her ass.

She dropped her head for a moment; hitting her head against his lean chest. Loki nudged her with his hip to motivate her decision. "Of course if you don't want my assistance..."

Before he could finish his sentence Jane curled her her hands around his neck and went for it. She was done arguing with heself about this and threw them in the back corners of her mind. All she wanted was to do as he said and kiss him. Only he wasn't half out of his mind this time. This kiss was much heavier, and instantly more intimate than before. Both of them were in sync with each other's movements and Loki was eager to show her where his nick name came from. Without much effort his lips parted hers and let his tongue graze hers teasingly. He felt her entire body react to this as her breath hitched, but it took her no time to begin her experiment. She deepened the kiss this time, letting their tongues move fluidly with one another's. The feeling was intoxicating and Jane was savoring every movement. His mouth was enough to drive her wild with lust, but before she could give in just a little more, Loki stopped excruciatingly slow. Jane gave a slight wimper when he did this and her eyes fluttered open and saw Loki's up close. So much so that she could see the light gold that sparkled in them. Loki felt her breath against his lips and the tip of her nose touching his. Jane was cursing herself for this, but there was no turning back now.

"And they say I'm trouble." He spoke deeply with his mouth hovering above hers.

Jane pushed herself away from him as much as it pained her to do it. Mistakes could easily be made at this moment, so backing off was an intelligent decision. Letting in a long inhale felt good. She didn't know exactly how long it had been since the last time she allowed herself to breathe. Hearing Loki call her trouble had opened up her eyes a bit more as she became more aware of the reality of the situation. Their push and pull relationship had only just begun and the more she longed into his mystical emerald stare, the stronger that pull got.

"I will help you." Loki purred in agreement and his taken expression had shifted instantly into a more professionally tamed demeanor.

"And I will find a way to get you out of here." Jane looked away from him to look around the room to make sure no one had been eavesdropping or taking a peek on their rather passionate interlude. When she glanced back at Loki she saw that he hadn't stopped looking at her. What in the Universe was happening?

Somehow, Jane was able to fully get back to her feet without the Trickster snatching her up for another steal of her affections. She forced herself to take her eyes and mind off of him enough to turn on her heel and leave, but right when she was reaching for the door, Loki spoke smugly.

"Don't be long sweetheart," He said as he leaned his head back with his eyes closed; trying to find a sweet spot to get himself more comfortable.

Jane chuckled softly, but failed to repl. She left the God of Mischief behind and shut the door behind her. With two fingers she felt her lips where Loki had been and took a moment to realize the complexity of it.

"Fuck." Jane cursed and went straight to her room and clutching her arms to her stomach along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. It may take some time for me to post the next one, so bare with me.  
> ~TheChampion04


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